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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26394946">A Story in Three Parts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingBirds/pseuds/KingBirds'>KingBirds</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bleach</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, F/M, Friendship, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:20:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>65,583</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26394946</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingBirds/pseuds/KingBirds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Captain Hitsugaya experiences some growing pains and Rukia Kuchiki develops an unusual connection to him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hitsugaya Toushirou/Kuchiki Rukia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>86</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Hitsugaya takes a nap; Rukia makes a new friend.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Part 1: Altruism</p><p>1. Hitsugaya takes a nap; Rukia makes a new friend</p><hr/><p>
  <em>She could, however, hear the sound of a zanpakuto blade piercing through flesh and then bone and then coming out of the other side. She'd heard it many times before.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Among the Thirteenth Division’s buildings was a small storage shed. It had been built out of necessity at a date different from the other buildings and so didn’t exactly match. But rather than stand out, it blended right in, as inconspicuous as could be and very easily overlooked. The roof of this building had a little design flaw—half of the roof had been put up before it had been realized that the building needed to be a bit wider; hence, the second half of the roof was higher and overhung the first half a little bit, making an alcove that unexpectedly provided an almost complete view of the Thirteenth Division’s grounds while being both unseen from the ground and from above, should someone happen to shunpo by. It was a great vantage point, if someone were small enough to fit.</p><p>It happened to fit Rukia quite well and this is where she found herself presently. How she found this spot was by accident and was actually an interesting story but is a story for another time.</p><p>She was sitting cross-legged with a ball of vibrant blue yarn in her lap and long knitting needles in her hands and the vague beginnings of something forming between them.</p><p>These things had been given to her by Orihime during her last visit to the human world, who was also the one to hurriedly teach her at least the very basics of knitting during that time.</p><p>Anyway, here Rukia was, wrapping the yarn around the needle, pulling it through, and so on, when she heard the somewhat urgent rattle of shoji doors being thrown open and a breathless but equally serious ‘<em>Captain Ukitake!’</em></p><p>It should be mentioned that this shed was quite close to the captain’s office, right next to it, in fact, and if she had been paying attention, Rukia would have noticed Fourth Division’s Isane as she hurried through the yard and up to the door. Now, Rukia <em>did not</em> sit here to eavesdrop, and usually, the distance was too far for her to hear anything, but a breathless Isane was also a loud Isane, and Rukia distinctly heard her name, <em>Kuchiki-san</em>, from where she sat, even though she couldn’t hear anything more than that.</p><p>She paused her knitting, brow furrowing slightly. She wavered about whether she should actually try to lean in and hear what was going on, since it had something to do with her. Or maybe she wasn’t meant to know about the conversation at all.</p><p>However, the shoji doors were rattling open again, and, actually paying attention this time, Rukia saw her Captain exit his office with an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face, followed by an anxious-looking Isane.</p><p>Ukitake was gesturing to Kiyone, who was nearby, and Rukia heard him clearly: “Have you seen Rukia? I need to speak with her urgently.”</p><p>Okay, maybe she <em>should</em> make herself known. Rukia quickly put away the yarn and the needles and slid down from the roof, landing softly on her feet. No one seemed to have noticed her, so she cleared her throat. “Captain?”</p><p>Her captain turned to her and looked relieved, but there in the corners of his eyes was some rare tension, and the thin line of his mouth was clearly concerned. Ukitake gestured for her to follow him inside, so she did, and between him and Isane, they explained the situation to her.</p><p>Some time yesterday, in one of the outer Rukongai districts, Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Matsumoto encountered some unusually powerful Hollows. They’d managed to make quick work of them yet somehow Captain Hitsugaya had been injured and taken to the Fourth Division. No one was quite sure how badly he was injured. No one was sure exactly <em>how</em> he was injured either. Isane explained that he had no visible injuries they could see, and from what Lieutenant Matsumoto had reported, he’d simply fainted. And he’d stayed that way, no matter what Unohana tried to get him to wake up. This was obviously a problem, but Captain Hitsugaya didn’t appear to be in any danger, as he was. The more pressing problem was that he was leaking reiatsu <em>everywhere</em>, the likes of which none of them, not even Kurotsuchi, had ever seen, and he was quickly freezing out the Fourth Division. No one could figure out what was going on and even if they could, no one could make it past the ice to do anything about it.</p><p>Rukia could already tell where this was going, nodding along but remaining silent.</p><p>“We’ve had to move other patients around,” Isane said. “Which isn’t good for them but at the rate the ice is spreading, we’ll have to move them out of the Fourth Division completely, which definitely isn’t ideal. So, you see Kuchiki-san, being the only other ice-wielding Shinigami, you’re probably the only person who can get through to Captain Hitsugaya.”</p><p>Isane didn’t say what they expected her to do exactly, if she did get through, and Rukia didn’t ask. She just nodded solemnly. “Alright.”</p><p>Isane looked a bit surprised at her easy acceptance but quickly shook herself. “We should go,” she urged them.</p><p>Rukia wasn’t sure what she expected to find at the Fourth Division, which was good, because she definitely would not have been able to conjure up the scene that greeted her, so she hadn’t wasted any brain space trying.</p><p>The Fourth Division, unlike the other twelve divisions, was comprised of several sprawling buildings. The main buildings were typically used to separate and treat various types of injuries and ailments, while the smaller outer buildings were for recuperation and recovery. Unfortunately, Hitsugaya seemed to be in one of the former. Rukia could tell because one building was covered in a healthy heap of snow and ice. The roof was blanketed by a soft, thick layer of snow that Rukia kind of admired, while the doorway and surrounding courtyard glimmered with a sheet of sleet and ice. Even as she watched, the ice inched forward at a steady pace and she agreed with Isane—the entire Fourth Division was sure to be completely covered in a few hours at least.</p><p>Even more interestingly was the ring of raging fire that surrounded the building, melting the ice about as fast as it was spreading. Rukia’s skin prickled somewhat unpleasantly as a mix of hot and cold air brushed against her intermittently.</p><p>There were a few people in the courtyard: Captain Unohana, who, given that her division stood a very good chance of being frozen over, looked remarkably calm, an uncharacteristically worried-looking Lieutenant Matsumoto, Lieutenant Hinamori, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, looking exhausted, Captain Kurotsuchi and his Lieutenant Nemu, and Head Captain Yamamoto himself and his Lieutenant Sasakibe.</p><p>Rukia could tell it was Yamamoto’s reiatsu keeping the fire raging around the building. There was some of Hinamori’s too, but it was faint and quickly disappearing.</p><p>“Head Captain Yamamoto, Captain Unohana, Captain Kurotsuchi,” Rukia greeted them quickly.</p><p>“Kuchiki,” Yamamoto addressed her. Rukia stood up straighter; having your name called directly by the Head Captain did not blow over one’s head.</p><p>“Sir.”</p><p>“I trust you know why you are here.”</p><p>“For the most part,” Rukia replied honestly.</p><p>Isane hurriedly stepped forward. “My apologies Head Captain, Captain Unohana. I’ve explained the gist of the situation but I figured it was best if Captain Kurotsuchi explained the rest.”</p><p>“Very well,” Yamamoto gestured to Kurotsuchi, a person who always looked displeased but who looked especially displeased right then.</p><p>Kurotsuchi did not even look at Rukia, which she was greatly relieved by—she had spent some time as the object of his interest in the weeks following the removal of the Hougyoku from her body and she much preferred him ignoring her.</p><p>“Nemu,” he called and she stepped forward to face Rukia wordlessly. She lifted her hand, offering Rukia a small, neat red square of paper.</p><p>“This is a reiatsu suppressant,” Kurotsuchi explained disinterestedly. “Captain Hitsugaya appears to be within his inner world and has no control over the flow of his reiatsu. This needs to be placed directly on his body, preferably his head. However, it is only temporary and is meant to last a few hours. Given Captain Hitsugaya’s strength and the intensity of his reiatsu, it will likely last less than that, an hour at most, I would say. It will be up to the Fourth Division to solve the problem thereafter.”</p><p>“We will handle it from there,” Unohana assured them calmly.</p><p>Kurotsuchi scoffed quietly, like he was unconvinced, but said nothing more. Rukia took the small bit of paper from Nemu.</p><p>“What about Rukia?” Ukitake spoke up behind her. “I understand your plan in theory, but we can’t know for sure until she goes in, and by then we won’t be able to enter and save her, should something happen.”</p><p>Rukia frowned. She thought back to the few interactions she’d had with Captain Hitsugaya’s reiatsu in the past. To say she was unaffected would be a lie, but Rukia chalked this up to the, admittedly, vast difference in their abilities and raw power. She didn’t think she would freeze to death, and though she was immune to her own cold and frost and she definitely was <em>not</em> immune to Hitsugaya’s, she was probably less affected by it than anyone else here, Yamamoto included.</p><p>Hinamori got to her feet then, and Rukia could see that there was a rope wrapped around her waist. She quickly untied it and handed it to Rukia. Hinamori smiled at her somewhat apologetically.</p><p>“I tried to melt my way in first,” she said. “Unfortunately, I didn’t get very far before I had to be pulled out. I use this rope in my training a lot. It won’t burn if we have to use fire to pull you out.”</p><p>“I would go in myself,” Yamamoto admitted. “But fire against ice would be a fight and fire consumes energy, which is limiting. Captain Hitsugaya’s reiatsu is fuelled by the moisture in the atmosphere, which is limitless. It is better to walk in than fight our way in.”</p><p>Rukia didn’t know that, somewhat surprised. But she didn’t dwell on it and just nodded. Together, Hinamori and Matsumoto tied the rope around her waist. A rope probably wasn’t the most sophisticated plan in existence, but, well—it would do.</p><p>“Tug on it once if everything’s going well,” Matsumoto told her. “Tug twice if you want to be pulled out.”</p><p>“Alright.” Rukia looked up at the serious faces around her and thought she should be a little bit more concerned for her own safety than she was, but she found it hard. It seemed ridiculous for her to be afraid of the cold, even if it was Captain Hitsugaya’s.</p><p>Yamamoto cleared a small gap in the ring of his fire for her to enter. Immediately the ice leapt forward, crystals blossoming up from the ground.</p><p><em>Scary</em>, Rukia thought, and immediately used shunpo to reach the frosted over doorway. She stood for a minute there, feeling the blast of cold emanated from within, and gave an assured tug on the rope before going inside.</p><hr/><p>Captain Unohana would have to be very forgiving to tolerate what Captain Hitsugaya had done to her building, Rukia thought, pausing for a moment to survey the damage around her. The ice had covered everything. The layer on the floor that Rukia was standing on was a few inches thick and spread up the walls and ceiling. The wooden chairs and other furniture were stuck fast to the floor, warped out of shape by contraction in the cold. Even the sheets of paper on the desks and tables were frozen over; they were pretty much useless now, given that they would be a soggy mess when all of the ice melted. All the lights had been blown out and the windows were covered by cloudy ice sheets, given the room a darkened, eerie glow and muffled quiet. Rukia’s breath formed a nice puff of warm air in front of her face but her nose and toes were starting to prickle.</p><p>She moved forward carefully over the ice. She could tell exactly where Hitsugaya was—the force of his reiatsu became more concentrated around him and so did the ice and cold. Thermodynamics or something, Ichigo had rambled on about once.</p><p>The doorway of Hitsugaya’s room was completely impassable, a block of solid ice growing from within and spreading outward. Rukia really hoped it was just the door and that the whole room wasn’t just one huge ice cube. She wasn’t sure if Hitsugaya could survive that but he was clearly very alive still. Briefly, she wondered how Captain Unohana and the others allowed it to get this bad.</p><p>She unsheathed her zanpakuto and swung it over her fingers and grasping the handle hilt-forward. Then she began to pick away at the ice wall. Small bits fell away at first and when she had created a large enough hole to hook the hilt through she began to pull off chucks of it. It fell and shattered at her feet like glass and was quite pretty. Eventually, she could duck under it—ah, the advantages of being small were few but useful—and enter the room.</p><p>She gave a tug at the rope for good measure and walked inside.</p><p>The ice wall at the door, Rukia realized slowly, might have been some unconscious attempt at protecting rather keeping people out. The pressure inside the room was something else, never mind the cold. Rukia felt like the moisture at the corners of her eyes were freezing and there was definitely frost on her eyelashes and probably all over her. Her body did not want to move forward, it wanted to fall to the floor and kneel, like there was an enormous hand pressing down on her shoulders.</p><p>Rukia had been in the presence of several captains in their unreleased state and she had never felt anything like this. Captain Hitsugaya sure was something.</p><p>Nevertheless, she tugged once on the rope and then preceeded to drag her feet across the room. He was lying on a cot in the middle of the room, dressed in plain white robes, body prone but relaxed. He looked like he was just taking a nap. The fine medical instruments in the room had all been shattered to pieces. The bed remained remarkable unscathed. As she approached, the pressure became all the more terrible but she managed to sidle up to his bedside. It felt like half of her body was no longer working but she lifted a hand, holding onto that slip of red paper, and reached for his face.</p><p>Or, she tried.</p><p>Once, while Ichigo had been doing homework and she had been bored and he had wanted to shut her up and distract her, he had given her a pair of magnets. Rukia is a simple person, and those two magnets had entertained her for a long time. This feeling now, trying to reach forward and touch Captain Hitsugaya, reminded her of the resistance she’d felt when she’d tried to get two ends of the magnets to snap together.</p><p>“It won’t work,” Ichigo had told her.</p><p>“Why?” she’d whined. “If I do it the other way it does.”</p><p>“Because the poles are the same,” was all he’d said simply.</p><p>“Of course,” she’d replied flatly.</p><p>Rukia was smart enough to know that this and that weren’t exactly the same, but in a funny way, it did make sense—<em>the poles are the same</em>, after all.</p><p>She had tried for a long time, but, though she hated to admit that Ichigo was right, she never did get those ends together.</p><p>Rukia could feel herself freezing. She’d pretty much lost almost all the feeling in her legs and her nose and lips were so chapped and dry she was sure they would bleed if it weren’t for the fact that her blood was probably also frozen.</p><p>Gathering herself, she wrapped a hand firmly around her end of the rope, ready to shake it like crazy as soon as she was done, and tried to concentrate all of her energy into her hand holding the piece of paper. She lifted it over her head, took a breath and then swung it down with as much force as her little body was capable of producing under the standard laws of physics.</p><p>And it worked. A little too well.</p><p>She hit him square in the centre of his forehead, palm flat against his skin, the thin piece of paper between them, with a loud <em>smack</em>. Hitsugaya, bless his heart, didn’t react.</p><p>There were many things Rukia wanted to do in that moment: widen her eyes, gasp, recoil in horror, profusely apologise.</p><p>She didn’t get the chance.</p><p>The moment her skin touched his, she felt like she was falling uncontrollably forward, like something had violently pulled her. For a moment she wondered if the others had pulled on the rope. But this felt like something was tied around her <em>bones</em>, not her body. She felt like she was flailing around, instinctively reaching forward to break her fall and hoping not to crash into Hitsugaya’s unconscious body. Her eyes screwed shut and she braced herself for…whatever.</p><p>Her hands sunk into something wet and slippery that gave way easily under her. By the time she opened her eyes half of her body had sunk into it. Snow, she realized belatedly. Very white, very cold snow.</p><p>Hesitantly, Rukia pulled herself up and looked around. She was sitting on a vast snowy hillside. A ferocious storm seemed to be happening around her, fierce wind and hail sweeping over her. Miraculously, she wasn’t harmed by this. It was very cold, but the wind and balls of ice just seemed to pass through her. Through the haze she could see faint grey mountains in the distance but she could tell that they were very far away. Above her rolled large angry grey clouds so tightly packed together she couldn’t see the sky underneath.</p><p>What a cold and desolate place, she thought, whose vastness she could only compare to Hueco Mundo.</p><p>Slowly, Rukia got to her feet. She had a very bad feeling about this.</p><p>She didn’t know what was currently going on back in the real world—if the reiastu suppressant had worked and if she had been pulled out by the others, but she decided she would much rather be back in that cold hospital room, slowly freezing to death, than where she was now.</p><p>She started to walk in no particular direction. At some point she realized she didn’t know what she was doing and sat back down.</p><p>For a while, Rukia was at a complete loss as to what to do. But then she realized that Captain Hitsugaya must be in here somewhere, right? She wasn’t sure if seeing him was the best thing, given that she was intruding in the most intimate part of his <em>soul</em>.</p><p>But.</p><p>He would probably know about it regardless and perhaps already did. And it’s not like she asked to be here, oh no, there was something else at work here that she was <em>not</em> responsible for.</p><p>So she sent out a small, very miniscule, pulse of her reiatsu, looking for him. Unfortunately, this entire place was drenched in his reiatsu—it actually tickled her nose a bit, and so it was a fruitless endeavour. But while Hitsugaya’s reiatsu didn’t stand out in this world, <em>hers</em> certainly did, and it didn’t take long before Rukia began to notice that the storm was dying down around her.</p><p>That bad feeling she’d had earlier came back but doubled its effort to make her heart clench in uncertainty.</p><p>She looked around warily but of course, it was from behind her that she felt a new presence, a soft rustle of robes, footsteps treading snow.</p><p>Rukia got up and turned around.</p><p>A man was standing there and it was definitely <em>not</em> Captain Hitsugaya.</p><hr/><p>Well, for one thing, he was much <em>taller</em> than the young captain.</p><p>His robes were blue and gaped open at the chest, revealing dark blue plated armour of some kind. Bright teal hair, somewhat messy, wafted down his back and blew gently in the wind. There was a large pale <em>X</em> right in the centre of the bridge of his nose that spread over his cheeks down to his jaw and over his eyebrows into his hair. A bright green obi was tried around his waist, from which hung Hitsugaya’s sealed zanpakuto. His hands and feet, which were all bare, did not look like hands and feet at all, and instead looked like thin claws made of ice. He was watching Rukia with a face devoid of expression.</p><p>Rukia inhaled a steady breath and opened her mouth to say something, realized she didn’t know what to say, and closed it. She watched this man wearily and somewhere in the distance she began to hear the familiar sounds of a fight, of sharp blade meeting sharp blade. Her eyes fell to the sword secured at the man’s waist and she reached for the hilt of her own zanpakuto, only to find it wasn’t there, because of course it wasn’t.</p><p>The man followed her movements with impassive blue eyes.</p><p>Just when Rukia felt like she knew what she should say, the man spoke:</p><p>“What’s your name?”</p><p>Rukia missed a beat. “Rukia,” she blurted. “Kuchiki Rukia.” And then, “I mean no harm.”</p><p>Not that Rukia thought she could harm anyone here if she wanted to, but she felt she ought to say it, regardless.</p><p>“Why are you here?” he asked next and she was a bit amazed at how little his body moved, even to speak. He was like Nii-sama, she mused, just…less human.</p><p>Rukia inhaled a cold breath. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I kind of just…fell in.”</p><p>It sounded weak to her own ears and even in her head, before she had said it, but the man didn’t react. He continued to observe Rukia and although it was hard to tell, she got the feeling he was scrutinizing her face in particular. The silence stretched between them until Rukia felt like she should get to the point.</p><p>“Captain Hitsugaya is…he won’t wake up,” she said hesitantly. “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to leave here.”</p><p>The man looked away from her, looking toward the crest of the snowy hill they were on, in the direction of where the sound of fighting seemed to be coming from. Slowly, he walked over. After a moment, Rukia followed him. He stopped at the peak of the hill and Rukia came up beside him. Below them was a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. Rukia guessed that it must have actually been a lake because the surface was just frozen ice. There on the ice was Captain Hitsugaya. The blade of his zanpakuto had been thrust into the ice and he was leaning heavily on the hilt. His robes were, for the most part, tattered and hanging off his bloodied body.</p><p>On the other side of the lake was also Captain Hitsugaya, or rather, <em>another</em> Captain Hitsugaya, who appeared much the same and didn’t seem to be in any better or worse condition.</p><p>“You can leave when he defeats himself,” the man said.</p><p>Rukia considered this statement. The two Hitsugayas had begun to fight again.</p><p>“Which one is the real Captain Hitsugaya,” she asked, unthinkingly.</p><p>“Which do you think?”</p><p>Rukia wanted to believe that Captain Hitsugaya was the one that seemed in better shape, but from what she could see, their injuries and fatigue seemed to be equal. Then she wanted to believe that the real Captain Hitsugaya evaded more often, or put more force behind his blows, but there didn’t seem to be a difference there either.</p><p>Rukia tilted her head back to look up at the man.</p><p>“You’re Hyorinmaru,” she said, and it felt weird, rolling off her tongue. She didn’t think she’d ever said that name before.</p><p>His eyes flickered down to hers briefly. “Yes.”</p><p>Rukia watched them fight for a while. Honestly, she wasn’t particularly interested in the fight. Sure, she wanted Captain Hitsugaya to defeat himself or whatever so she could leave, but it wasn’t just so she could leave. They were comrades after all, so she’d want him to win regardless, but there was nothing she could do anyway and the intricacies of whatever trial a captain like Hitsugaya had to pass was probably beyond her understanding.</p><p>So she sat down in the snow and watched a little. Beside her, Hyorinmaru didn’t move.</p><p>Rukia figured she’d gotten there quite late in the battle, given the state of the two Hitsugayas, but they didn’t seem like they would stop anytime soon. No matter how bloody, or tired, or how many obviously broken bones they accumulated, they still got up and swung their blade forward. Rukia was a little astonished at the sheer determination and power it seemed to take every time.</p><p>Eventually, she recalled something and patted her robes curiously and yep, for some reason, it was still there. Quietly, she pulled out a ball of blue yarn and two knitting needles. She felt some eyes flicker to her. A part of Rukia wanted to hold up the ball of yarn and find out which blue it most closely resembled on the man standing next to her but she refrained.</p><p>She must have looked quite ridiculous, sitting there, knitting away, occasionally looking over at the fight below. But the only person to witness this ridiculousness was standing right next to her, and Rukia couldn’t imagine who he could pass on the information to. As for Captain Hitsugaya, all things considered, this was the part of the entire situation that should least concern him.</p><p>At some point she thought to ask, “Does he know I’m here?”</p><p>Hyorinmaru curiously didn’t answer her immediately. He seemed to think about it.</p><p>“Not yet,” he said at length. “He doesn’t need the distraction.”</p><p>Which Rukia agreed with and thought made sense. She assumed that the zanpakuto spirit beside her had done something to mask her presence. Which was <em>absolutely</em> fine with her. There was going to be some fallout to all of this, Rukia was sure, and she was not looking forward to it.</p><p>“Cherry blossom.”</p><p>Rukia looked up, confused. The zanpakuto spirit was looking down at her, or rather, at a spot on her head. Rukia ran a hand through her hair. A single frosted cherry blossom fell into her lap. They were currently blooming in the Kuchiki compound and she’d had a walk through them this morning. Rukia looked at the withering flower and marvelled at how it had survived all the things she’d done that day.</p><p>Below them there was a loud sound of something shattering. The ice over the lake had broken—Rukia was impressed it had held up for so long—and large chunks were quickly separating and melting away into the water. Soon the Hitsugayas would have nothing to stand on.</p><p>The Hitsugaya closest to her was kneeling on one of the last chunks of ice, breathing laboured. Rukia could barely see his face or any of his white hair under all of the blood. The other Hitsugaya was standing, barely, on a floating piece of ice that was drifting closer. His grip on the hilt of his zanpakuto tightened and Rukia could clearly see him calling on the last reserves of his energy, preparing himself to deliver the last blow.</p><p>She looked over the two of them carefully and then raised her hand, blunt knitting needle pointing assuredly. “Him,” she said. “The real Captain Hitsugaya.”</p><p>Hyorinmaru’s eyes flickered over to her. His face didn’t show any surprise. His face didn’t show anything, really.</p><p>What happened next was a blur to Rukia. She didn’t see much of what happened, for being so broken and bloodied, the two Hitsugayas sure moved fast. She could, however, hear the sound of a zanpakuto blade piercing through flesh and then bone and then coming out of the other side. She’d heard it many times before. Immediately, the icescape around her started to crumble. The mountains shook as large sections broke off and slid downward. The very snow beneath her was also giving way.</p><p>In the back of her mind Rukia had been thinking that this was just how Captain Hitsugaya’s inner world looked but perhaps she had assumed wrong.</p><p>Alarmed, Rukia tried to get up but it was already too late. Beside her, but sounding very far away, she heard, “Goodbye, Kuchiki Rukia.”</p><p>Like when she’d fell in, she felt something pulling her back this time, like it was wrapped around the bones of her spine and yanking her backward. She blinked and found herself staring at her own pale hands, flat on the hospital room floor under a good foot of ice cold water.</p><p>Her hearing was the last thing to come back and she heard her name, <em>Kuchiki-san</em>, followed immediately by a gentle but firm tug on her arm. She looked up into Isane’s concerned face, watched the relief wash over her features and then looked around.</p><p>She was on her hands and knees on the floor—so she had literally fallen over after all—sodding wet. There were other people in the room but her mind was not in a state to process any of them. She did catch on to one person’s reiatsu, though, because she’d just spent what felt like hours ensconced in it and she knew exactly what it felt like. It was there, it was alive, and it was the normal, reasonable amount.</p><p>Rukia breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was a sure sign this little mission was a success, and promptly keeled over and passed out in Isane’s arms.</p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Hitsugaya reads many reports</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em>The image of her sitting in the white snow for some reason became emblazoned in his memory.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Hitsugaya had had many a headache in his day but the one he had currently surprised even him. He'd once witnessed, quite innocuously, mind you, a Karakura High student, on a dare, shove his finger underneath a stapler and promptly staple his finger to the table. Hitsugaya thought he was like that student, except the staple was a thick, long, blunt nail and the finger was his skull.</p><p>Captain Unohana was beside his bed, smiling pleasantly. There was a notepad in her hand and she was carefully looking over whatever was written there.</p><p>"How do you feel Captain?"</p><p>"Fine."</p><p>"Any pain?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Do you feel any discomfort anywhere?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"On a scale of one to ten, ten being what you would describe as normal for you, how would you rate your energy levels?"</p><p>"Seven."</p><p>"I see. May I?" She tucked the notepad under her elbow and reached for his hand. Hitsugaya allowed her to take it and she pressed a firm finger against his pulse. Smiling, she let go of him. "Well, it seems like your reiatsu levels are back to normal. You gave us quite a scare there for a moment."</p><p>Hitsugaya closed his eyes tiredly. "I apologise for any inconvenience."</p><p>Unohana's smile didn't change. "Well, you seem to be alright now. I'll let you leave at your convenience but I suggest a full day's rest before you attempt any strenuous use of your reiatsu. Your lieutenant is waiting for you outside and I believe she's brought you a change of clothes."</p><p>She made her way over to the door before looking back. "Also, Yamamoto has asked for you, Lieutenant Matsumoto and Captain Ukitake to submit your reports about the incident as soon as possible." And then she left.</p><p>Captain Hitsugaya, about to close his eyes and will away his headache, paused.</p><p>What did Captain Ukitake have to do with any of this?</p><hr/><p>Matsumoto was sitting patiently outside when he came out of his room, looking thoroughly exhausted. It had been about three days since they'd set out for the outer Rukongai district and she didn't look like she had rested at all.</p><p>Despite this, she still managed to smile and greet him with a cheery 'Captain'.</p><p>He sighed. "Let's head back to the office first."</p><p>Outside the building, the atmosphere was colder than he was expecting. The courtyard was quite wet, as though it had rained, and the building next to the one he had just exited appeared to be under significant construction.</p><p>Back at the Tenth Division offices he and Matsumoto got a grasp on the situation. The whole story goes like this:</p><p>Hitsugaya and Matsumoto had entered the Rukongai district without much fuss. They were on a regular, routine patrol and although there hadn't been much hollow activity in the area since Aizen's defeat, there was the occasional more powerful than average hollow every now and then, which was, statistically speaking, expected and normal. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto happened to run into a handful of these.</p><p>The duo had split up the work; Matsumoto had gone after the largest of the hollows and Hitsugaya had gone after the two smaller, but faster and more agile hollows. He'd dealt with the first one with relative ease, not even having to release his zanpakuto. The second one, however, proved to be more difficult.</p><p>The hollow's name was Screecher. It was tall and slender, with arms and legs and a torso disproportionately long for the width of its body. It had a short sharp beak and when it opened its mouth to scream, which it did often, Hitsugaya could see that there were rows upon rows of razor-like teeth inside.</p><p>Screecher was the fastest among the three and even when it was running away it would swing its long arms behind it, sharp claws slicing through whatever it happened to catch.</p><p>Hitsugaya pursued it for a short while, steadily closing the distance between them. Up ahead of them was the first trees of a vast forest. Hitsugaya, a little lazy by nature, thought it would be best to finish Screecher out here in the open than among the dense trees. So he tightened his grip on the hilt of his zanpakuto and prepared to release his shikai, reaching for Hyorinmaru only to find him…not there.</p><p>He faltered, reaching deeper and deeper until he felt that familiar chill wash over him and he found himself unexpectedly pulled into his inner world.</p><p>"It was super weird, Captain," Matsumoto told him, who, seeing that he was fine as can be, had relaxed back into her carefree self. "You were going so fast, catching up to that hollow when all of a sudden, you just stopped, like you hit a wall at full speed and then kinda just fell back. It was a little funny."</p><p>Of course, it hadn't been funny at the time. Some kind of panic had propelled Matsumoto to cross the not insignificant difference between them and catch him before his head hit the ground. She'd taken him all the way back to the Fourth Division herself.</p><p>With more humour than she had felt at the time, Matsumoto began to relate to him what occurred after they'd gotten to the Fourth. The reiatsu leaking began about when they got to the Fourth Division, but in the beginning, it wasn't that bad. Unohana had managed to check him in, do all of the basic procedures and give a good attempt at trying to wake him up before his reiatsu reached a level where even she couldn't approach him. And it seemed that the worse it got, the faster it got worse. By the time Unohana had figured out what was wrong with him, they'd started evacuating the building. Of course, this in itself was an endeavour made all the more complicated by the fact that it wasn't good for word to spread among people, but especially among the Shinigami themselves, that there was something seriously wrong with a Gotei Thirteen captain, so they'd had to do this as quietly as possible.</p><p>"You did quite a lot of damage to the Fourth's main building," Matsumoto mused. "You must have seen it when we were leaving."</p><p>Hitsugaya winced, leaning back in his chair. He could, of course, put two and two together.</p><p>"You'll probably have to send Captain Unohana a fruit basket," Matsumoto suggested. "But if you really want to know the extent of the damage you caused you'll have to ask Lieutenant Hinamori, or, better yet, Kuchiki-san."</p><p>Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. "What do those two have to do with anything?"</p><p>So Matsumoto continued the tale:</p><p>At first, Hinamori had been called to keep the ice from spreading to other buildings; it was already out the door at this point and she did manage to hold it off until Kurotsuchi had arrived. It was better to nip the problem in the bud, he'd said, and offered them the reiatsu suppressant. Hinamori, who had been training at the time she had been called (more on that later) happened to have some special equipment rope on her. With these things in hand, they'd tried their first attempt to reach him. Hinamori got about as far as the receptionist's desk before they had to pull her out. By then Yamamoto himself was on the scene and he managed to control the spread of the ice long enough for them to come up with another plan. Surprisingly, it was suggested by Kurotsuchi.</p><p>You see, the only other ice-wielding Shinigami was Kuchiki Rukia, whose reiatsu, Kurotsuchi happened to know, was quite compatible with Hitsugaya's. At the very least, she had the best chance of making it to him alive without having to burn the building down.</p><p>Hitsugaya frowned here but gestured for Matsumoto to continue.</p><p>Anyway, Kuchiki had been sent for and successfully fetched and Ukitake had accompanied her. They'd geared her up in their state-of-the-art equipment—Matsumoto made a joke about having her sign a waiver—and she'd gone in to find him.</p><p>Here Matsumoto stopped because she didn't know what happened next and she looked at her captain expectantly.</p><p>Captain Hitsugaya didn't know either, given that he was unconscious at the time.</p><p>"Well," Matsumoto continued. "It was only the two of you in that building so I guess only Kuchiki-san knows. It took a little while but eventually, your reiatsu receded and the ice melted—all at once actually, it was a little shocking. I guess Little Kuchiki managed to put that sticker on your head just fine."</p><p>Here her eyes rose to his face, settling over his brow, and she snickered. Self-consciously, Hitsugaya rubbed at the spot. There was no longer any sticker there but the area sure was sore.</p><p>Matsumoto spared him, looking away. "Only the Captains and Isane were allowed to enter. They moved you over to the other building and I followed you. As for Kuchiki-san…I don't really know, but Captain Unohana treated her for a while and then I heard she was taken back to the Kuchiki compound. Renji dropped by earlier and said she's doing fine."</p><p>Matsumoto looked over at him, thoughtful. "You probably need to give Kuchiki-san a fruit basket too, Captain."</p><p>Hitsugaya's headache, which had been easing somewhat, seemed to be coming back.</p><p>"Also, Hinamori came to check up on you," Matsumoto told him. "But she's on a tight training schedule and couldn't stay for long." Matsumoto shifted in her seat. In a more serious voice, she asked, "But what actually happened to you, Captain?"</p><p>Hitsugaya sighed but took his time and explained it to her.</p><hr/><p>The way reporting worked in the Gotei Thirteen was like this:</p><p>The very lowest level of reports generated by each division every day typically consisted of rosters, deliveries, payroll, mail, patrol schedules and so on. These things had no bearing outside of whichever division it came from and were kept for record-keeping more than anything else and could usually be handled by a higher-ranked seated officer.</p><p>Any other kind of report, encountering hollows, trips to the Human World, recruitment applications and such, were dealt with by the division's captain or vice-captain. In some divisions, most of this work was taken on by the vice-captain, like in the Eight Division, and in others, it was taken on by the captain, like in the Tenth Division. Most divisions though managed to split the work equally.</p><p>Only Captains were allowed to submit reports to the First Division. This was for two reasons. One, it greatly reduced the number of reports that came into the First Division. Two, whatever reports did make it in had been curated by the highest authority available. There were some types of reports that were always required to be submitted—for instance, the First Division, along with the Twelfth, monitored every Shinigami outside of Soul Society, regardless of which division they came from. But for the most part, it was up to the captains' discretion what reports were filed with the First Division every week. All subordinates submitted their own reports to their captain, who would then compile and summarise the events as succinctly as possible before sending it higher. This was why Hitsugaya was always doing paperwork. He could not rely on his Lieutenant to do her share, he happened to have a large number of his officers out in the field at all times, and he was something of a perfectionist.</p><p>Unfortunately for him, his little incident had involved five separate divisions, not counting the First, and, as he was the person most involved, it fell on him to correlate all the reports and submit them to Lieutenant Sasakibe.</p><p>Fortunately, Unohana had been kind enough to give him the medical portion of the paperwork on his way out. Having sent Matsumoto off to rest, he promptly assigned one of his seated officers to collect Kurotsuchi's as he would much rather not deal with that captain himself, and he collected Hinamori's personally before making his way to the Thirteenth Division.</p><p>He'd managed to get a good grasp of everyone's version of events, filling in quite neatly what had transpired while he'd been unconscious. The only missing piece, of course, was what had happened when Kuchiki Rukia had gone in to find him.</p><p>All things considered, it wasn't a very important piece of the story. But Hitsugaya had a weirdly persistent feeling that there was more to it than there appeared to be and he himself wanted to know the full details of everything before he let anyone else.</p><p>He'd looked through the medical report, of course (there was no sensitive information on her medical report so Rukia had given Unohana permission to pass it on to Captain Hitsugaya directly to save some trouble). Unohana had treated Kuchiki for frostbite, dehydration, exhaustion and pneumonia. Extensive, but ultimately very easily treatable and far from life-threatening, especially for an ice-wielder.</p><p>Unfortunately, it didn't tell Hitsugaya anything more than that Kuchiki had braved his reiatsu to put the suppressor on him, which he already knew.</p><p>Also unfortunately, it turned out Kuchiki was still at home resting and had yet to submit her report to her captain. Ukitake, however, was also curious about what had transpired, more so what exactly had happened to <em>Hitsugaya</em>, and he invited his fellow captain to have some tea and tell him about it.</p><p>"So, it's a growth spurt? A teenage rebellion?"</p><p>Hitsugaya winced, unwilling to accept this description.</p><p>The way Hyorinmaru had explained it was like this:</p><p>Hitsugaya had yet to unlock the full potential of his spiritual power: this was well-known. However, slowly but surely, and especially after all of the work he'd done during Aizen's betrayal, he was getting closer to crossing the barriers that were currently in the way. It wouldn't happen all at once, and it would be a challenge to cross each time, but Hyorinmaru had told him that they were at a barrier right now, a fairly significant one at that, and that it would be a contest between this newfound power and Hitsugaya's ability to attain and control this power and neither of them had much say in it. This power had decided Hitsugaya was ready so Hyorinmaru had advised him that he had better be.</p><p>The whole thing was making the already reticent Hyorinmaru even more taciturn and he had retreated somewhere into Hitsugaya's soul that he couldn't easily reach him.</p><p>"By the time I realized something was wrong, it was already too late," Hitsugaya sighed. The week prior he hadn't used Hyorinmaru at all, not even to train. He had been properly swamped with work, overseeing a new batch of recruits and subsequent transfers, and had just been so distracted that he hadn't noticed the difference between Hyorinmaru's normally subtle but consistent presence within him, and how he'd been the past few days. Usually, it felt like the dragon was there with him all the time but sleeping, not paying too much attention to what was going on around him until Hitsugaya called for him. The last few days it had been more like the dragon was wide awake but ignoring him. And he hadn't realized something was wrong until he tried to call for him while chasing after Screecher and got no response. And of course, Screecher had escaped.</p><p>"In the end, I still failed," Hitsugaya admitted.</p><p>He had thought that he and the version of himself he'd found waiting for him on the ice that day were evenly matched. But in the end, he'd still been defeated.</p><p>Ukitake was thoughtfully dipping a tea bag into his teacup and Hitsugaya found himself focusing on it. Ukitake noticed and belatedly said, "Oh, this is a teabag from the Human World. Rukia brought over a box for me recently. They're quite convenient. They're a little too special to part with usually, but I'll give you a few, Shiro-chan, since you've been having a hard time lately."</p><p>Hitsugaya wanted to, somewhat exasperatedly, tell him that, having been stationed in the Human World for an extended amount of time and being fond of tea himself, he knew what a tea bag was, but refrained and silently accepted.</p><p>"Do you think you'll experience something similar again?" Ukitake asked him.</p><p>"I think it's probably likely," he answered. "But now that I know what's going on, I can at least prepare myself for it."</p><p>"You should request some time-off from Head Captain Yamamoto," Ukitake suggested. "Or at the very least that he does not assign you anything right now. You could consider it something like your bankai training."</p><p>Hitsugaya nodded absently. A portion of his attention had snapped to the small teabags he held in his hand because, for the first time since Hyorinmaru had appeared beside him in that icy valley, the dragon stirred within him when he realized that the tea's flavour was cherry blossom.</p><hr/><p>Hitsugaya made an appointment to see Kuchiki Rukia the next day.</p><p>"I'll collect her report myself," he'd told Ukitake. "I may want to speak to her about it."</p><p>However, when he returned the next day the report was there but Kuchiki Rukia was not.</p><p>"Rukia told me to tell you she's sincerely sorry," Ukitake had said to him regretfully. "But she'd previously put in a request to have her patrol in the Human World start today and she couldn't stay to see you."</p><p>Kuchiki Rukia's calligraphy was quite admirable, Hitsugaya thought, as he read through her report. It was very neat, evenly spaced, neither too big nor too small. Her report described her short but strenuous journey through the Fourth Division building to get to him. She gave a very detailed account of what she had seen, which Hitsugaya had to admit sounded just as terrible as everyone else had guessed it would be. She wrote about the wall of ice that she'd had to break through and the resistance she'd met when she approached him. Very honestly, she wrote about smacking him on the head to get the suppressor on, for which she profusely apologised—Hitsugaya couldn't help touching the spot and frowning—and then fainting. Her report ended here, and Hitsugaya supposed it was about right; Unohana's own report picked up pretty much where hers left off.</p><p>Still, Hitsugaya felt dissatisfied. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more here and as he was usually right about such things, he decided to do something he had never done before: he delayed submitting his report, at least until after he could speak to Kuchiki.</p><p>He had to wait until she returned from the Human World of course, but he didn't intend to wait longer than that. So a few days later, when the Senkaimon opened up and Rukia Kuchiki took her first step back into Soul Society. Captain Histugaya was there waiting for her.</p><p>The funny thing was, Rukia noticed him immediately. An interesting side effect of falling into his soul, she was quickly realizing, was that she had become interestingly fine-tuned to his reiatsu. She'd walked into her captain's office the other day and had instantly focused in on it, even though Hitsugaya had already left many hours prior. This was, of course, still only when he wasn't trying to hide it and Rukia didn't know if she'd still be able to detect it if he did. She was rather hoping not.</p><p>The even funnier thing was that Hitsugaya didn't immediately approach her. She could tell on which nearby rooftop he was and knew he could see her clearly but he didn't do anything as she lingered with the Senkaimon closing behind her.</p><p>Truthfully, though she knew she had to, she didn't actually want to talk to him, so Rukia decided to take her chances and prepared to shunpo away.</p><p>"Kuchiki."</p><p>She almost tripped over her own feet but caught herself in time.</p><p>"Captain Hitsugaya," she replied automatically. He had descended from the roof and was now standing a fair distance away from her. "What can I do for you, sir?"</p><p>"I'd like you to tell me what happened that day I was in the Fourth Division."</p><p>Rukia bit the inside of her cheek. "I've already submitted my report to Captain Ukitake. Perhaps it would be simpler if you just collected it from him—?"</p><p>"I've already read your report, Kuchiki, I'm asking you to relay your version of events in person."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>Now, it should be mentioned, and here's as good a place as any, that Kuchiki Rukia and Captain Hitsugaya were not strangers. But just barely.</p><p>Besides knowing about the other, in the vaguest of ways you would expect through having only ever heard of a person but never meeting them, Rukia and Hitsugaya had been both assigned to that small makeshift team that had been sent to Karakura Town in the months following Aizen's betrayal. As the highest-ranked Shinigami, Hitsugaya had been, technically, in charge. However, everyone had their own orders from their captains, and Rukia, in particular, had been given her own assignments related to Ichigo and his friends. Hitsugaya hadn't spent much time telling her what to do, or interacting with her much.</p><p>Rukia's <em>Why?</em> had been said in the tone of voice of someone who was perhaps a bit more familiar with him than Hitsugaya thought they were.</p><p>Nevertheless, he just waved his hand vaguely. "There seems to be something missing from your report."</p><p>To his surprise, the Shinigami in front of him started. "Something wrong, Kuchiki?"</p><p>She seemed to hesitate before taking a deep breath. "Captain Hitsugaya, would you mind coming closer?"</p><p>He raised an eyebrow. "What for?"</p><p>She didn't answer him and eventually, He just walked towards her. When he was close enough, she casually lifted a hand and pressed a finger to his forehead. There was a sharp spike in his reiatsu—this was more out of surprise and displeasure than anything—but nothing else happened.</p><p>"Kuchiki, what do you think you're doing?" Hitsugaya asked calmly. He was looking at her very sharply but she seemed not to notice.</p><p>Frowning, she slowly took her hand away. "Just checking," she said vaguely. She flicked her hand as she brought it back to her side, like she was getting something off of it, and he tried not to be too bothered by that.</p><p>"Has your zanpakuto, uh…told you anything?" she asked him delicately. Hitsugaya blinked at her. Somewhere inside of him, Hyorinmaru stirred moodily.</p><p>"I beg your pardon?"</p><p>"I guess not," she said, looking particularly put out. Hitsugaya was beginning to regret approaching this girl at all.</p><p>Tiredly, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Listen, Kuchiki, I'd like to get this over with as soon as possible. Let's have this conversation in my office."</p><p>Kuchiki pursed her lips but nodded.</p><p>At his office, Hitsugaya took his seat behind his desk and gestured for her to sit. She did but looked at him uneasily. For a moment, they just stared at each other, properly looking at each other for the first time.</p><p>Captain Hitsugaya looked very tired, Rukia realized. His face looked a little thin and the skin under his eyes was almost translucent. He still didn't look as bad as the last time she saw him, which was when he was covered in blood and his own tattered robes.</p><p>To Hitsugaya, Kuchiki looked like she always did. She was sitting very respectfully before him, hands folded neatly in her lap. The dark cloth of the Gotei Thirteen uniform pooled around her like a small black puddle on his floor. She was looking at him with her head slightly tilted, like she couldn't make sense of him. At the corner of her mouth, he noticed a little unwillingly, was a small speck of something bright pink. Frosting, perhaps? She sure enjoyed her time in the Human World.</p><p>Rukia cleared her throat. "Sir?"</p><p>"Tell me about what happened after Lieutenant Isane called you."</p><p>So she did. It was pretty much an identical account to what she'd written in her report. When she got to the part where she'd had to hit him on the head, she flushed bright pink and gave a hasty apology, which he magnanimously waved away.</p><p>She got to the end and fell silent. She seemed thoughtful.</p><p>Hitsugaya sighed. "It seems like you still haven't told me everything, Kuchiki."</p><p>Surprisingly, she nodded, very serious. "I haven't. I'm just not sure how I should tell you. I was rather hoping your zanpakuto already had."</p><p>Hitsugaya didn't have a good grasp of what was going on here and couldn't imagine what Kuchiki and his zanpakuto spirit had to do with each other. And Kuchiki couldn't know that actually, no, his zanpakuto hadn't spoken to him in a while. But ever since he had watched her step out of the Senkaimon, Hyorinmaru had perked up in interest, a quiet but steady hum in the back of his head.</p><p>Curious, Hitsugaya gave the dragon a little mental nudge and, surprisingly, he responded.</p><p>
  <em>Listen to her.</em>
</p><p>"Just tell me, Kuchiki."</p><p>She seemed to take a deep breath to steady herself and then launched into a story Hitsugaya couldn't quite believe. Of course, despite knowing that this would be a strange story for someone to completely fabricate and that Kuchiki should have no reason to do so, he was still inclined to not believe her. Except, her descriptions of his inner world and the fight that had taken place couldn't be guessed. The most remarkable thing, however, was what Hyorinmaru was showing him: as Kuchiki spoke, Hitsugaya could see it in the back of his mind, through Hyorinmaru's eyes.</p><p>The image of her sitting in the white snow for some reason became emblazoned in his memory.</p><p>He'd had <em>no idea</em> she was there.</p><p><em>My doing</em>, Hyorinmaru told him. <em>You did not need the distraction</em>. And with that, the dragon disappeared again.</p><p>Hitsugaya focused on the Shinigami in front of him. She maintained some external calm, which he admired, but the look in her eyes was wary and the fingers in her lap were curled tightly around each other.</p><p>Hitsugaya himself was a little shaken up. To say nothing about how intrusive it was to have someone come into your very soul (this he quickly brushed off so that he could deal with it later), he had never heard of something like this happening before, and didn't even think it as possible.</p><p>"You didn't put any of that in your report," he said flatly.</p><p>She blinked. "Would you have wanted me to?"</p><p>Hitsugaya leaned back in his chair and massaged his temple. Before him, Kuchiki shifted uncomfortably.</p><p>"I had no intention of keeping it from you, Captain Hitsugaya," she said. "But as I have mentioned before, I thought your zanpakuto would tell you himself. As for the report, I figured it was best if I spoke to you first. Otherwise, Captain Ukitake, Head Captain Yamamoto and probably Captain Kurotsuchi would have all known before you did."</p><p>"This will have to be reported, regardless," Hitsugaya said, though he was particularly not looking forward to it himself.</p><p>Kuchiki hummed in agreement and gave him a thoughtful look. "You are taking this much better than I had anticipated."</p><p>Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at her. "And what did you anticipate?"</p><p>She opened her mouth to answer him—she clearly had a response to this, but then seemed to think better of it and just shrugged. Hitsugaya was curious enough to press her, but figured they had other things they needed to work out that were more important.</p><p>"I expect an updated report by tomorrow, Kuchiki. I will arrange to meet with Head Captain Yamamoto. You will likely have to be present as well." Hitsugaya gave her an exasperated look. "Honestly, Kuchiki, you could have saved me some trouble by just being there when I had asked. Was your trip to the Human World that important?"</p><p>He watched the corners of her mouth flatten into a thin line, but really, it just ended up looking like a pout.</p><p>"My apologies, Captain, but this was also something I needed to wrap my head around."</p><p>Hitsugaya sighed. He seemed to have done that a lot since talking to her. "Very well. You can go. Look out for my message."</p><p>She got to her feet in one impressively fluid motion, bowed and left like she couldn't get out fast enough.</p><p>To say Hitsugaya was disturbed would have been an understatement. But, he had always been a practical thinker and his outbursts of excessive emotions were usually reserved for brief frustration and irritation and usually directed at his lieutenant's disregard of his clearly stated orders and expectations.</p><p>And he knew in his heart that Hyorinmaru would protect him; if the dragon had not been alarmed, then there was probably good reason. What this good reason was, Hitsugaya might not know for a while, as trying to get answers from his zanpakuto spirit right now seemed impossible.</p><p>Hitsugaya tried not to be too suspicious of the fact that Hyorinmaru had hidden Kuchiki's presence from him while she'd been in his inner world, to say nothing of how he was able to do that in the first place. Hitsugaya was ready to just accept these things as they were—for now. He had other things to think about.</p><p>Like how Kuchiki had even gotten into his inner world and what magic was at work there. Kuchiki's account made it clear that the girl had no idea what was going on herself and was as much a victim of circumstance as he was. He believed her on this, though he couldn't help but wonder if she had her own ideas of the matter and was not willing to share them with him.</p><p>He would have to wait and see.</p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Rukia's new friend is a two-for-one deal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em>He wondered if that cold and distant façade of hers was because, when unguarded, Kuchiki Rukia looked very vulnerable.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Captain Hitsugaya wouldn't see Rukia for a few more days. When she'd come to drop off her new report, he happened to not be at his office.</p><p>The meeting he'd arranged between himself and Yamamoto had been set for early one morning. He hadn't received a response to his message that she be there but that was hardly surprising, since he'd only given her very short notice.</p><p>In between that time, he'd tried to get Hyorinmaru to talk about it. The dragon had not withheld any of what had happened when she had entered his inner world—through his own eyes at least. When Kuchiki had stumbled in the fight had been well on its way already. Hyorinmaru had explained the basics to him and moved over to the side-lines, silently watching but offering no support or help. The dragon had clearly felt when Kuchiki appeared but immediately dismissed her as a non-threat and chose to ignore her instead. How he came to this conclusion was something Hitsugaya was still mystified by. Sure, Kuchiki <em>wasn't</em> a threat, but for something like this, he felt they should have erred on the side of caution.</p><p>Nevertheless, Hyorinmaru only began to pay attention to the girl after she'd sent out a small bit of her reiatsu, which prompted him to go look for her.</p><p>When he'd found her she was just a little dark smudge in the vast white snow. Hyorinmaru didn't have many complex feelings—that Hitsugaya knew about—but even he couldn't quite understand the little Kuchiki. The things that stood out to him was how calm she had been, or pretended to be; when she had reached for her zanpakuto only to not find it there—which itself was also rather curious; when she had plopped down on the snowy hilltop to watch the fight with only vague interest; when she had pulled out her yarn and knitting needles seemingly without a care in the world. And finally, the way that she had looked, tilting her head back to look at him, eyes wide and bemused and seemingly too large in her face.</p><p>Hitsugaya didn't quite know what to make of this, and truthfully, Hyorinmaru didn't feel a particularly special way about any of it. He had just noticed them and they were what stood out when he'd let Hitsugaya see his memories.</p><p>Hitsugaya got to Yamamoto's office early, because he was always early. And yet, he was not the first one there.</p><p>Kuchiki was sitting quietly in front of the office. Her head was bent and she seemed to be working on something. The early morning sunlight was very bright and orange and slanted across her dark head, bleaching the black of her hair to a warm red. When she looked up and saw him her eyes seemed to see right through him, which, given their situation, was a little discomforting.</p><p>"Kuchiki," he greeted her.</p><p>She got up, gathered whatever was in her hands closely, and gave him a very formal bow. "Captain Hitsugaya," she said respectfully, and then she sat down again. He could see that the thing in her hands was actually a ball of yarn and knitting needles—it was only through sheer luck, he thought, that he happened to know what these things were (his grandmother used to knit). She seemed to be knitting a small, flat rectangle.</p><p>He gave a small nod.</p><p>Kuchiki went back to work but was kind enough to tilt her head towards the closed office a bit, saying, without taking her eyes off of her work, "Lieutenant Sasakibe said to wait a moment."</p><p>Hitsugaya stood silently and watched her work. She worked very slowly and her movements were not at all practised or at ease. She was very clearly new to this and seemed to be taking extra care to do it well. It caused him to wonder what she was making and who it was for.</p><p>Rukia sat on the floor and worked quietly, focusing her attention on the task at hand rather than, say, the pair of eyes she could clearly feel scrutinizing her.</p><p>Throughout this entire process, Hyorinmaru had been paying close attention to the girl and Hitsugaya could not figure out why, nor could he say he liked it.</p><p>It didn't seem like Hyorinmaru had special feelings toward the little Kuchiki. It actually felt more like she was a face he could recognize and right now, it was a face he liked more than Hitsugaya's, and he was going out of his way to let him know it. Hitsugaya thought back to what Ukitake had said, <em>teenage rebellion</em>, and frowned.</p><p>Fortunately, it was at this moment Yamamoto chose to invite them into his office.</p><p>Hitsugaya had previously submitted the lengthy and detailed report he had been compiling over a few days so Yamamoto was fairly up to speed on what was going on. Still, he made them both repeat what they knew of the situation, sitting quietly and thoughtfully before them, never once interrupting. But that was the thing about Yamamoto: he didn't need to say anything. Even though you couldn't really see his overhung eyes, you could definitely feel them, and when you spoke and he was looking at you, well, it was hard for even some lieutenants to maintain their composure.</p><p>Kuchiki maintained her composure remarkably well.</p><p>Being higher ranked, Hitsugaya had spoken first. Then he'd stepped back and watched as Kuchiki recited her own information. He didn't think she was as composed as she appeared, and perhaps most of the confidence and calm were faked. But there was something in pretending, too, and pretending so well that she may as well have been that collected.</p><p>He noticed that she said only what was necessary and important; her voice was clear, her descriptions were concise but thorough and she brought as little emotion into it as possible.</p><p>When she was done she gave a curt bow and calmly waited while the Head Captain considered her.</p><p>"Are you able to do this at will?" Yamamoto asked after a few moments of silence.</p><p>For the first time since she'd greeted him outside, Kuchiki looked over at Hitsugaya, but it was only the barest flicker of her eyes.</p><p>"No sir," she said, and Hitsugaya recalled her finger being pressed into his forehead.</p><p>"Hmm," Yamamoto seemed to be mulling it over. "And you are sure it's not through contact with skin?"</p><p>Kuchiki seemed to hesitate. Hitsugaya sighed and held out his hand to her, palm up. Her eyes flickered between his outstretched hand and his face but, ultimately she rested her own hand in his without saying anything.</p><p>"I see," Yamamoto allowed and Kuchiki immediately pulled her hand away. It was like she thought something <em>would</em> happen if they touched for too long.</p><p>"This may just be a one-time thing," Yamamoto mused. Hitsugaya gave Kuchiki a somewhat tired side glance.</p><p>"It still doesn't explain why it happened in the first place," he said. "I think it's worth looking into."</p><p>"Indeed. I think it would be best to keep this amongst yourselves for now. It is needless for this to be a concern among the other captains as we wait for things to settle after Aizen's defeat." Yamamoto heaved a lengthy sigh. "Although, it is rather curious, I must say."</p><p>He looked up and addressed Hitsugaya directly: "I've received your special request. I will not have you be given any assignments until your matter is dealt with. As for you, Kuchiki—"</p><p>Hitsugaya watched in amusement at the subtle but very stiff straightening of her spine.</p><p>"—I will also be postponing any of your future assignments for the time being. It is worth seeing if this event will repeat itself if the circumstances are the same. As such, I will be temporarily reassigning you to Captain Hitsugaya's division until we can conclusively determine whether this is an issue between the two of you or not. Captain Ukitake can expect a directive to that effect by the end of the day."</p><p>It was hard to tell how Kuchiki was taking this news. Hitsugaya watched her with interest but he couldn't discern much. She nodded her acquiescence with obvious reluctance but remained silent. Hitsugaya didn't mind this outcome too much—he hadn't expected it but then again he hadn't expected anything really.</p><p>When they stepped out of Yamamoto's office Kuchiki was frowning. It seemed like there were things she wanted to say but she refused to speak first. Hitsugaya obliged her.</p><p>"You can have this day to make your arrangements with Captain Ukitake and your division," he said. "I expect to see you first thing tomorrow."</p><p>Kuchiki met his eyes. There was something interesting in her face, he noticed, though he couldn't quite put a finger on it.</p><p>"Thank you, Captain," she said solemnly and immediately shunpo'd away.</p><p>It occurred to him then that she always seemed to be running away from him, a thought that made Hyorinmaru curl a little in contempt.</p><hr/><p>Hitsugaya wouldn't say he was awaiting Kuchiki's arrival that morning but, well, it was the only thing he was expecting, and thus he thought about it a lot. The vague plan in his mind was that, should he be drawn into his inner world again, Kuchiki would have to touch him and then they would see if this was a one-time, freak accident or something more. His reiatsu he was sure he would be able to control, and he was certain the suppressant had a negligible influence on the whole thing, if any. It was merely because he was unprepared the last time that his reiatsu had gotten so out of control.</p><p>He had, since then, tried to return to his inner world on his own. However, no matter how long he meditated and tried, he just couldn't. This would normally alarm him, but given everything, it seemed to make a lot of sense. There was also the concern that this little experiment would get in the way of the more important task at hand: defeating himself and unlocking his new power. However, based on Kuchiki's performance the last time and Hyorinmaru's nonchalance about the whole thing, he didn't really believe that this would be a problem.</p><p>It occurred to him right then that he hadn't spared much thought or feeling to the fact that he had agreed to Kuchiki potentially invading his inner world again without any resistance. He dismissed this immediately as irrelevant: if he had any reservations about it they would have to be pushed aside anyway as there was no way around this that he could see.</p><p>He had, however, spent a considerable amount of time thinking about what exactly they were supposed to do. He knew he would have to take the lead in this, as Kuchiki seemed to have neither the desire nor the intention to do so, and he would very much like to be on top of this issue—or at least appear like he was.</p><p>He didn't know when his next trial was going to be so Yamamoto was right to think Kuchiki should be nearby at all times just in case. However, this also meant that there would be a potentially long time of her sitting around waiting. There was nothing he could think of to have her do in that time. Having her involved in his division work was out of the question and it would be unwise for her to bring her own division work, if she had any, because that was also a regulation issue. In the end, Hitsugaya had decided he would just ask her how she wanted to spend her time and he was willing to facilitate her so long as she stayed nearby.</p><p>Now though, with Kuchiki sitting properly in front of him in his office, he was looking at the object she had just placed on his desk, prompting him to forget everything he had wanted to say.</p><p>"Kuchiki," he began, unsure of what type of tone he should be using to address her in this moment. "What is this?"</p><p>She tilted her head a little, like she couldn't understand why he was asking. "It's a cherry blossom."</p><p>"What am I supposed to do with it?" he asked, sounding remarkably calm and not at all confused.</p><p>"It isn't for you."</p><p>And she sounded rather huffy about it.</p><p>The small, pink flower was sitting innocently on his desk. He hadn't spent a lot of time paying particularly close attention to cherry blossoms, or flowers for that matter, but even he could tell that this was as perfect a specimen as one could find in nature.</p><p>Slowly, his gaze moved away from the flower to the girl sitting before him.</p><p>She was very obviously avoiding his eyes, one hand curled into a fist on her knee and the other holding onto the sleeve of her uniform in what he could only assume was discomfort.</p><p>For the first time, Hitsugaya felt reluctant about this arrangement.</p><p>Hyorinmaru, on the other hand, seemed pleased.</p><p>In all the time Hitsugaya had known the dragon, he had never outwardly expressed any kind of vanity. Yet, at the thought that he had been given a <em>gift</em>, of all things, Hitsugaya could feel his bemusement and eventually his acceptance at the little thoughtful flower clear as day. If he were so inclined, Hitsugaya would go so far as to say the dragon was <em>flattered</em>, if only a little.</p><p>Hitsugaya could only rely on Hyorinmaru to understand what had transpired between the zanpakuto spirit and the little Kuchiki, and even then Hyorinmaru hadn't gone into much detail. He had no idea what Kuchiki had thought about it.</p><p>Immediately, he decided it would be best if they dropped this topic.</p><p>"Unfortunately, Kuchiki, I don't have much for you to occupy your time with here," he told her, "If there is anything you would like to spend the time doing I will try my best to allow you, within reason, of course."</p><p>The girl relaxed a little, though not all the way, he noticed. She seemed to consider it.</p><p>"Captain Ukitake has his own private training grounds," she said.</p><p>Hitsugaya frowned, not sure where this was going. "Yes, all captains do. It allows us to keep the details and the extent of our powers and abilities hidden, should there be a breach within the Gotei Thirteen. A captain's bankai and shikai are not commonly well-known."</p><p>He wasn't sure why he had gone into that much detail when he usually wouldn't and she hadn't even asked a question. She didn't seem to be interested, either, nodding casually.</p><p>"I'd like to use it," she said. "Yours, I mean. While I'm here."</p><p>"Yes, I gathered as much," he said drily. It was a little interesting, he decided, watching the way her lips flattened into a thin line.</p><p>"If you don't want me to—"</p><p>"I didn't say that."</p><p>Of all the things she could have asked for, and among the things he could see himself consenting to, this was rather reasonable. Hitsugaya himself made good use of his private training area and over the years it had been tailored specifically for an ice-wielder, so of course it would work well for her. She would be close by and productive at the same time. And, although he knew she would not be spending every minute of the day training, she would, for the most part, be out of the way. Yamamoto had left it up to the two of them, but mostly him, to come up with a suitable, fake, explanation for their arrangement, since they could not avoid other people within their divisions discovering it but they also could not tell the truth. This would at least keep Kuchiki directly out of the office and as secluded as she could be within his division. It was altogether rather perfect. Hitsugaya was duly impressed at Kuchiki for thinking so far.</p><p>The only problem was that he regularly trained there, and now more than ever he needed it. But, he supposed, it's not like they couldn't use it together. It would be good, he thought, to have a sparring partner.</p><p>"That's fine," he said, and Kuchiki's shoulders relaxed.</p><p>"Thank you, Captain Hitsugaya," she said sincerely, and for the first time Hitsugaya realized that there was warmth in her voice. He didn't realize it had been missing all the other times she'd addressed him until he heard it.</p><p>He merely nodded, giving her quick instructions on how to get to the training grounds. Seemingly eager to get started, she got up immediately, gave him her polite thanks again, and set off.</p><p>Always running, he thought absently as she left.</p><hr/><p>It was sometime later in the day, around lunch perhaps, that Hitsugaya began to consider that he hadn't been precise enough when he'd told Matsumoto that she could take some rest time after their last mission.</p><p>At the time, he had only meant the rest of the day. However he had promptly forgotten about it afterwards as he read and collected reports and attempted to make sense of what had happened between him and Kuchiki. It was only now that he realized it had been a while since he'd seen his lieutenant.</p><p>As if she had been summoned through the sheer force of his thoughts, Matsumoto swung his door open with a rambunctious "<em>Captain</em>—"</p><p>Hitsugaya heaved a long-suffering sigh before looking up at her.</p><p>"—I've brought you some snacks." And she proceeded to dump a heap of paper-wrapped food onto his desk. Hitsugaya himself just barely had time to move away before it came crashing down on his neatly organized desktop.</p><p>"I've heard some gossip, Captain," Matsumoto said before he could properly rebuke her. "I've heard you've taken the little Kuchiki in." She was looking down at him with her hands on her hips, a glint in her eyes and a smile Hitsugaya did not like the look of.</p><p>But he was too busy marvelling at the fact that the news was already out.</p><p>He arched an eyebrow at her. "Oh?"</p><p>"Come on, Captain, don't be like that," Matsumoto pouted, which Hitsugaya pretended not to see. "Renji told me that Captain Kuchiki told him that Captain Ukitake told <em>him</em> that you've taken Kuchiki Rukia into our division."</p><p>"Temporarily," he said, confirming it all the same.</p><p>"Uh huh," she looked unconvinced. "There are ways to go about getting a girl's attention, Captain, and this is certainly a novel approach."</p><p>Hitsugaya ignored her. "Kuchiki has been assigned here as per the <em>Head Captain's</em> orders. And it should have nothing to do with you."</p><p>Which, of course, caused Matsumoto's smile to widen.</p><p>"And why, do tell, is she here?"</p><p>Hitsugaya had spent a lot of thought on what he was going to tell his lieutenant about the situation. As a general rule, he didn't keep many secrets from her; she had a way of finding things out especially when he tried to hide them, and well, in their line of work it was always best to have someone else aware of what was going on. And to be fair, Matsumoto had no reservations telling him things.</p><p>However, he felt that the situation between him and Kuchiki was…different. Not special, but, well, private (he didn't want to call it intimate). It wasn't like he thought Matsumoto couldn't keep her mouth shut about it—which was true, to an extent, but she knew how to keep a secret when it mattered. Hitsugaya was more afraid of her jumping to conclusions about the whole thing and also he didn't want her to know about something he didn't himself fully understand yet.</p><p>Luckily, he'd already thought up a story that was so near the truth Hitsugaya was sure he wouldn't have to worry about it.</p><p>"Kuchiki is the only person who can withstand my reiatsu; she's here to make sure we don't repeat what happened at the Fourth."</p><p>Well, she could <em>barely</em> withstand his reiatsu, but with her close by, hopefully, if there was a next time, it wouldn't get as bad as it had been the first time.</p><p>Matsumoto gave him a look he could only interpret as she believed him, but knew there was more to the story. He busied himself with clearing off his desk.</p><p>Matsumoto looked around the office for the first time. "Where is she, anyway?"</p><p>"Training," he answered and, recognizing the look in Matsumoto's eyes, added: "You're not to disturb her unnecessarily."</p><p>"What about necessarily?"</p><p>"If you have that much time on your hands there's a stack of reports on your desk that need to be done by yesterday."</p><p>"But Captain—"</p><p>"I'll add a stack for every word that comes out of your mouth after this."</p><p>Matsumoto shut up.</p><hr/><p>It was on the third day of their arrangement that Hitsugaya noticed there was something wrong with Kuchiki Rukia.</p><p>Well, actually, there had been a niggling feeling bothering him since she'd disappeared to train on the first day but it was only on the third day that he realized what it was all about.</p><p>He also hadn't seen her much in that time.</p><p>She'd come into his office early in the morning (so close to when he'd just sat down at his desk that he wondered if she'd been there even earlier and was just waiting to come in at an appropriate time), greet him briefly but respectfully and then politely ask if it was okay to use his training grounds that day. Hitsugaya would wave her off and then he wouldn't see her for the rest of the day.</p><p>Anyway, on the third day he found himself in the somewhat rare circumstance of having no more paperwork to deal with—save the ones he always reserved to punish Matsumoto with, if need be.</p><p>He decided to brew some tea. Unfortunately, he was all out of the loose leaves he usually kept in the office. He did, however, find the teabags Ukitake had gifted him earlier and, as he sat drinking the fragrant though somewhat oversweet tea, Kuchiki Rukia unsurprisingly popped into his mind.</p><p>Now, Hitsugaya tried not to deliberately think about the girl—and he really didn't have the time. But she still managed to occupy much of his thinking space since this whole thing had started. He thought about her every time he tried to talk to Hyorinmaru. He thought about her every time he tried to meditate into his inner world. He thought about her every time he replayed the fight with himself in his mind.</p><p>Basically, Kuchiki Rukia had effortlessly and seamlessly become an integral part of his life—at the moment—and it was hard to not think about her at all.</p><p>And as he sat there, thinking about not thinking about her, he realized something.</p><p>He couldn't feel her reiatsu at all.</p><p>And now that he thought about it, for someone who was studiously training so nearby, he couldn't recall having ever felt her reiatsu.</p><p>Hitsugaya calmly finished his cup of tea and then, securing Hyorinmaru to his back, decided to make a visit to his training grounds. He was due for some practice himself, incidentally.</p><p>He fully expected to get to the training grounds and find her absent—it was the most obvious and logical explanation and, since he had no reason to not accept this, he hadn't bothered to question or doubt his judgement.</p><p>He was wholly surprised, therefore, to find that not only was Kuchiki Rukia exactly where she said she would be, training, but Hitsugaya couldn't understand how she could be doing what she was doing without leaving a trace of reiatsu.</p><p>Hitsugaya's private training area was as bland and as plain as could be. When he released Hyorinmaru there it all became covered in ice anyway so it was not really a problem for him. But he had wondered, briefly and vaguely, exactly how Kuchiki would train here by herself, without an opponent to fight against and without any built-in obstacles.</p><p>And it turned out, she'd solved this problem quite nicely on her own.</p><p>The entire area was covered in a blanket of soft white snow. From the snow rose tall, thin cylinders of ice, no thicker than a paintbrush; they looked like the slightest wind would knock them over but somehow they rose high into the sky. They seemed to be placed randomly but were distributed throughout the training area at unequal distances.</p><p>Still higher above these were stalactites of ice. They were hung overhead, suspended in the air and were so numerous they almost blocked out the sky above. Each one ended in a sharp, deadly point.</p><p>This was all made from Kuchiki, he was sure, and if he really tried and paid attention, he could still feel her reiatsu, but it was very faint. He was certain he wouldn't be able to detect it back in his office no matter how hard he tried.</p><p>Kuchiki herself was the easiest thing to spot. She stood out in her black uniform very obviously. She was standing on one foot on one of the tall, thin towers of ice, absolutely still. Any errant movement would cause the ice to break, Hitsugaya could tell, and though she probably would still be able to save herself from the fall by shunpoing in time, a fall from that height was sure to cause some bodily injury.</p><p>She was holding her zanpakuto loosely by her side—Hitsugaya could only see the white ribbon billowing behind her. And there was another, black ribbon that he quickly realized was a blindfold.</p><p>The set-up all of a sudden made sense to him and even Hyorinmaru was now paying attention.</p><p>Kuchiki seemed to take a deep breath. The icicles above her glinted ominously and there was a precarious stillness in the air.</p><p>And then she moved.</p><p>Honestly, Hitsugaya almost missed it.</p><p>One moment she was standing there, the next she was just a blur. Like a dam being lifted and water gushing forth, the icicles above started to fall. They began at one end of the grounds, falling in cold icy sheets, and descended on her as she moved.</p><p>She flew from one cylinder to the other, one foot just barely alighting on the small surface before she was off again, her zanpakuto making quick and clean work of any icicles that came too close. Hitsugaya was duly impressed that she never caused a cylinder to fall, all movements precise and careful.</p><p>The shards of ice hit the soft snow with a muffled thud, almost soundless, and the only thing he could really hear was the whoosh of the blade through the cold air.</p><p>Kuchiki didn't move so much as she…danced, he mused, and the zanpakuto in her hand was the most fitting accompaniment, long white ribbon curling in wide, graceful arcs.</p><p>She was almost at the end. The falling ice had destroyed all but two of the towers. Kuchiki leapt from the one she was on and immediately, Hitsugaya knew she wouldn't make it. These last two seemed to be much farther apart than any of the others had been and he was sure, watching the projection of her jump, that she had misjudged it.</p><p>He couldn't help but feel disappointed. She had been doing so well.</p><p>However, Kuchiki herself seemed to realize her mistake. Unfortunately, she had been balancing moving from cylinder to cylinder with dodging, and occasionally obliterating, the falling stalactites. It the midst of her misstep, her instincts took over and in that brief moment of decision her instincts chose to correct her landing. Unfortunately, this put her in the pathway of a falling icicle, which happened to be one of the biggest and sharpest of the bunch.</p><p>Up until now, Hitsugaya wasn't going to interfere. But he could see clearly that there was no way she would react in time to dodge it. Before he even knew it he was up in a flash. He evaded the last of the falling ice with ease and quickly wrapped an arm around her middle, pulling her violently but safely out of the way.</p><p>He landed out of the way of the collapsing ice, still firmly holding onto her. Kuchiki Rukia felt incredibly small and thin in his arms.</p><p>She, who, blindfolded and unsure of where the ground was under her feet, was holding onto him tightly, all of her body weight essentially leaned into him. He could clearly feel the rapid movement of her chest against his arm and hear her laboured breathing against his neck.</p><p>She was surprisingly very warm.</p><p>Silence and stillness settled around them.</p><p>"Kuchiki," he called her, so softly it could almost be mistaken for gentleness.</p><p>With great effort, she found her footing and moved away from him, bracing her hands on his shoulder and chest to steady herself. She retrieved her hands and pulled her blindfold down from her eyes.</p><p>Wide, doe-like eyes blinked at him and in that moment Hitsugaya couldn't think of anything.</p><p>It was hard to believe that those eyes belonged to a Shinigami.</p><p>"My apologies, Captain Hitsugaya," she was saying, voice muffled by the blindfold that was now over her mouth.</p><p>"It's fine," he said absently, but then frowned. "What would you have done if I wasn't here?"</p><p>She looked like she didn't understand the question. "I would have made it, probably. The fall's not that bad either. I can always use shunpo or kido to save myself. I've done it before."</p><p>"What about the ice that was about to go right through you?" he asked, folding his arms in disapproval.</p><p>It seemed to take her a moment to realize that she had been in danger of being speared by a dagger of ice the size of her own body.</p><p>"Oh, they can't hurt me," she said simply. "They're made from my reiatsu," and she gestured out at the training grounds.</p><p>Hitsugaya hadn't noticed it, but the ice and snow had all disappeared. His training grounds looked like how it always looked.</p><p>He couldn't help but feel dissatisfied.</p><p>When he looked back at Kuchiki she was busy untying the blindfold from her face. Her zanpakuto, now resealed back into its usual form, was secured at her hip.</p><p>"Why couldn't I tell you were here?" he asked her. Her head jerked up to him and then tilted to the side in question. "Why couldn't I feel your reiatsu until I was this close?"</p><p>"Oh," she looked away. Her hands were folding the black cloth up and she chose to focus on that. "I've been practicing that, keeping my reiatsu levels as low as I can, even when I'm using it."</p><p>Which, Hitsugaya had to admit, was very impressive. Generally, captains and lieutenants had to actively keep their reiatsu in check, but this was more for the safety of nearby souls than secrecy—it was, after all, well known that they were very powerful. From what he knew, Kuchiki Rukia had to be powerful enough to be a third seat, at least. It wasn't usually at the same level of a lieutenant, even, but in some instances, Madarame, for example, their spirit pressure was something they also needed to know how to control. But there was no need to ever keep it that low and even if there were, the use of seals like the ones they had to use in the Human World would suffice. So ultimately, he didn't see the point in her trying.</p><p>"Why is that?"</p><p>Kuchiki gave him a look that clearly told him she hadn't thought he would keep asking, like it was unusual he was interested enough to continue the conversation.</p><p>She also looked like she didn't want to tell him, which Hitsugaya became all the more intrigued by.</p><p>She just shrugged, which he thought was the coward's way out.</p><p>"That's not an answer, Kuchiki," he pressed and he saw something flare in her eyes. She lifted her chin stubbornly and this was probably the most personality he'd ever seen from her, directed at him.</p><p>"It's my answer, sir."</p><p>For once it wasn't sickeningly respectful and he almost smiled.</p><p>"Let's have tea, Kuchiki," he offered and took immense pleasure in watching the defiance blink out of her eyes, replaced by open-faced confusion.</p><p>"Sorry, what?"</p><p>"Tea," he explained patiently. "In my office. I'd like to talk to you about how you've been using my training grounds."</p><p>He didn't mean to sound disapproving, which was clearly how she was taking it if the downturn of her mouth and how her face paled were any indication, but he was content to let her think that if it got her to acquiesce without much fuss.</p><p>Kuchiki still seemed hesitant but ultimately, she nodded and Hitsugaya couldn't help but feel like this was a victory. He decided to put this feeling down to the fact that he seemed to have suffered many losses recently.</p><p>But deep inside Hyorinmaru disagreed with him heartily.</p><hr/><p>It wasn't until they were already back in the office that Hitsugaya remembered that the only tea he had was what had been given to him by Ukitake. Which had been a gift from Kuchiki herself.</p><p>Would it be in poor taste to serve her the same tea she had given to another person? Hitsugaya thought about this seriously for a moment but then remembered that he wasn't the type of person to care about something like this and stopped thinking about it at all.</p><p>For her part, Kuchiki just arched her eyebrows a bit at the proffered cup but said nothing.</p><p>"Are you training for the lieutenant's exam?"</p><p>Sharp eyes looked up at him and it was hard to read what was in them but even Hitsugaya knew his question lacked tact. He knew, as most everyone else did by now, that Kuchiki Rukia was prohibited from taking the lieutenant's exam. As far as he knew, she was the only person in the history of the Gotei Thirteen who had ever been given such a restriction. He could see the way her shoulders pulled back as she retreated, mouth opening to give him some curt, flat answer.</p><p>However he was a straightforward person and before she could answer, he added: "I assumed that Captain Kuchiki would be less reluctant now, given your performance during Aizen's betrayal."</p><p>Though he said this with a flat tone, it was meant to be a compliment. Yet still, Kuchiki seemed to be more affronted, taking a measured sip of the tea before responding.</p><p>"Though it really doesn't concern you, sir, I am not."</p><p>Hitsugaya was amazed at how she said such impolite words in a perfectly polite tone. He was tempted to call her out on this, but instead chose to remind her: "I am currently your captain now, Kuchiki, however temporary. So it does concern me."</p><p>She stilled for a very brief moment before regaining her composure.</p><p>"I doubt even you can do much about it in whatever little time we have together." She said this indifferently but it seemed like all of her ire had vanished, making him wonder what had gone through her mind in that moment.</p><p>Hitsugaya didn't like to be doubted like that, however reasonable, and was suddenly motivated to not give up.</p><p>"Then tell me what you were doing," he said. "If you're not training to be a lieutenant. What you were doing earlier goes beyond what is expected of an unseated officer."</p><p>She looked up at him and he felt like this was the first time she was really looking at him without some kind of reservation. He could see she was carefully considering what she would say.</p><p>"I want to become stronger," she said simply. "The battles I faced with the Arrancars made me realize that, lieutenant or not, I should be stronger. For next time." Because they all knew there would be a next time and Rukia thought it was by the skin of their teeth that they had made it through with so few casualties.</p><p>"But—" she put the tea cup down carefully, "—it may be out of my reach right now to be as strong as you or my brother or Ichigo. But I can be faster, stealthier, more agile."</p><p>It had actually been her captain's suggestion. Ukitake, who had seen her train and struggle and push herself to beyond the limits of her physical and mental capacities, only to hit the immovable wall that was her brother's protection, had decided that enough was enough. It was foolish, he thought, to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. She was admirable for her persistence, he'd told her kindly, but asked her to focus her efforts on something else. The Thirteenth Division had long gone without a lieutenant after Kaien's death and he knew the position wasn't going anywhere. Ukitake had never told her but it remained vacant largely because he wished she herself would one day fill it, though his continuous attempts to get Byakuya to change his mind remained unsuccessful.</p><p>Instead, he'd asked her to think less about becoming a lieutenant to protect the people she wanted to protect and to just strive for being able to protect them regardless. Brute strength wasn't everything, after all, and although she had potential, there were other things that she could use to her advantage, things that were often overlooked in other Shinigami.</p><p>It had taken a while for Rukia to give his advice due diligence, so set was she in her ways. But once she had, she'd done her best to look at everything in a new light. She had been training specially over the past few months and her captain had proudly told her that she had already vastly improved in that time.</p><p>Captain Hitsugaya seemed to be looking at her with great interest and Rukia tried not to squirm under his gaze. For the first time in her life, she felt supremely grateful for the sharp and critical way in which the Kuchiki family usually looked at her, for it had thought her how to be still and composed even while under intense scrutiny.</p><p>"And what you were doing earlier?" he enquired.</p><p>"Largely Shirayuki's conception," she admitted, brushing her hand along Shirayuki's hilt by habit. Hitsugaya's eyes followed the movement. "Captain Ukitake occasionally designs tasks for me too."</p><p>"And you no longer wish to be a lieutenant?" he asked.</p><p>Her eyes flickered up to him before looking away. "No, I didn't say that…"</p><p>"It should still be the ultimate goal, regardless," he reminded her. "I don't like to see wasted potential, Kuchiki, and I especially do not like to see people wallow in their own, unfounded self-doubt."</p><p>Here she frowned, eyes frosting over just a bit. But Hitsugaya didn't have time to wonder about having hurt her feelings. "Your captain appears to have done a lot for you and while you're here, it would be a shame let up. You seem to be doing well on your own but there is only so much you can do by yourself without actually putting it into practice against a real person. So consider this, Kuchiki," he leaned forward, capturing her flighty gaze, "While you're here I'll take over Captain Ukitake's role: I'll arrange tasks for you and train you. It should help that our powers are similar."</p><p>Kuchiki was still frowning but she seemed to be thinking about it.</p><p>"In return, you can help me prepare for my next trial," he added, which caused her eyebrows to raise. There was surprise and confusion in those large eyes and honestly, those words had just slipped out of his mouth. He hadn't thought about it and it honestly didn't occur to him before this. But he could clearly see what thoughts were going through her head, why he would offer so much for no reason. Hitsugaya didn't have an answer to that, and feeling like he really needed one, he'd created one on the spot. He also realized that she seemed hesitant to accept based on his generosity alone—but if she were giving him something in return, he felt like she was more likely to say yes.</p><p>"I…thank you, Captain Hitsugaya, but I'm not sure how I can help you…?"</p><p>The bewildered look she directed at him was surprisingly unguarded and he wondered if that cold and distant façade of hers was because, when unguarded, Kuchiki Rukia looked very vulnerable. It didn't help that she was really only a tiny, child-like thing.</p><p>Pulling his thoughts away from the detour they were taking, Hitsugaya cleared his throat. "You heard what I told the Head Captain," he said, "and I'm sure your captain would have briefed you on it as well."</p><p>Slowly, she nodded, looking not at all convinced. "I still don't see—"</p><p>"I haven't made much progress since then," he interrupted her and this was, for some reason, especially difficult to admit. "And my zanpakuto spirit seems unwilling to help guide me." Hyorinmaru was unobtrusively listening intently to this conversation but refused to say anything. Kuchiki's frown deepened.</p><p>"However, he seems to have taken an interest in you," he said, and her eyes widened at that. "If your presence at all gets him to cooperate you can consider us even."</p><p>Altogether, Hitsugaya thought this reasoning was rather thin. He was sure that even without Kuchiki he'd be able to overcome this obstacle eventually—Hyorinmaru wouldn't hang him out to dry, he was pretty sure. But Kuchiki seemed to buy it, which was all that mattered. Before he could think further about why it was so important that she buy into it, and also that she accepted, Kuchiki nodded her head.</p><p>She didn't seem wholly convinced, and separate from this whole thing Hitsugaya approved her scepticism because, really, it would have been a point against her if she had accepted it without doubts.</p><p>"Alright," she said. "Thank you, Captain."</p><p>Still a little stiff, he thought, but an improvement, nonetheless.</p><p>"I usually spend the mornings sorting out the most important affairs for the day, so you'll have to find something else to do in that time. I don't recommend practising on your own, only because then you'll be too exhausted for what I have planned for you. We'll begin after lunch or whenever I finish. Expect to work as late as needed."</p><p>"Yes, sir."</p><p>Hitsugaya looked over the girl before him. He decided not to take her visage of delicateness at face value, instead only considering the determination in her eyes.</p><p>"If you want to be stronger, you'll have to work hard," he advised, only realizing his tone had become several shades gentler when she startled at it.</p><p>"Yes, I—I will, sir," Kuchiki hid her face in a quick bow. "I won't disappoint you."</p><p>"Good," he said, pleased. He was rather looking forward to it.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>End of part one.</em>
</p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Rukia gets stronger; Hitsugaya gets chatty</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Part 2: Reciprocity</p><p>Chapter 4: Rukia gets stronger; Hitsugaya gets chatty</p><hr/><p>"<em>What I don't have is doubt, Kuchiki. I don't doubt Hinamori's abilities just like I don't doubt my own, or yours for that matter."</em></p><hr/><p>And so began the most arduous training Rukia had ever done in her life. She made a mental note to really appreciate her captain more and vowed to bring him back every goodie in the human world she came across because, surely, he must have a very special place in his heart for her if he never subjected her to <em>this</em>.</p><p>This, which was facing down five hollows at once with only her sealed zanpakuto. Granted, Rukia had faced much more intense battles. These five hollows, though fairly strong, did not even come close to the lowest ranked Arrancar, as far as she could tell. What was special about these hollows however, was that, originally, she had started off facing only one.</p><p>"Now you're just avoiding them, Kuchiki," Hitsugaya tsked from where he stood on the side lines.</p><p>Rukia spun around, deflecting the savage bite of one of the hollows, and leapt out of the way. With so many of them in the arena with her she didn't have time to pause or regroup because one was always prepared to lunge for her. She didn't have time to look over at Captain Hitsugaya but she hoped he knew the scowl on her face was for him.</p><p>She swung her zanpakuto at the hollow nearest to her, which she'd affectionately nicknamed Ugly #3. It was a good strike, cutting clean into its shoulder and across its torso, an attack that would incapacitate any normal hollow, allowing her to easily finish it off in a subsequent strike.</p><p>Instead, Rukia swore, readying her zanpakuto for another hit. The two halves of Ugly #3 leaned precariously on either side, held together by a stretch of skin that snapped in two. But instead of falling apart, Ugly #3 began to regrow its missing limbs and body parts from each half and soon there were two Ugly #3s before her—well Ugly #3 and #6.</p><p>A bell rang, causing Rukia to jerk her attention to the small table next to Captain Hitsugaya. On it was a plain hourglass whose last grains of sand had settled into the bottom bulb.</p><p>"Stand down, Kuchiki," Hitsugaya told her calmly, already reaching for the zanpakuto strapped to his back. Rukia frowned and wanted to protest but quickly shunpo'd out of the arena, standing aside as Hitsugaya took her place.</p><p>From there she had a good view of the captain quickly and effortlessly taking care of the hollows with one precise hit through each bony mask—the only way to kill them.</p><p>When Rukia had entered the arena to see the one, low-tier hollow and Hitsugaya had said she only had five minutes to dispatch it without releasing her zanpakuto, she'd thought with some bafflement that this would be easy. And then she'd thought with some suspicion that it would be <em>too</em> easy.</p><p>Her first mistake had been not aiming for the mask first. Ugly the Original was neither fast nor strong. It seemed its only advantage was being able to multiply, which it did with the shallowest of injuries. Her first hit had taken an arm off, which Rukia had felt quite good about until she watched with horror as the arm grew another arm and then legs and then a head, and Hitsugaya's strange smile at her bemusement earlier had floated up into her mind.</p><p>Her second mistake was thinking that only Ugly the Original could multiply—this was her dumbest error and you can imagine how that worked out for her by yourself.</p><p>Her third mistake was thinking she needed to completely separate a piece of the Uglys for them to multiply and her last mistake was thinking, though even she knew this was far-fetched, that killing Ugly the Original would kill the others. By the time she had made and learned from these mistakes, there were already five of them with her.</p><p>Hitsugaya walked towards her. Rukia wasn't quite sure what kind of face she was making, shoulders hunched as she breathed heavily, but he raised an eyebrow as he approached.</p><p>"I don't know if it's more impressive that you were able to land so many strong attacks in five minutes or that you managed to create that many opponents in just five minutes," he said flatly.</p><p>Rukia managed a frown. "You don't mince your words, do you Captain Hitsugaya?" she said between breaths.</p><p>He ignored her. "Are you injured?" he asked.</p><p>She shook her head, limp strands of hair brushing across her face.</p><p>"Good. Rest up for fifteen minutes and then have a go at it again. Five minutes, Kuchiki, I don't want to see so many mistakes again."</p><p>Under her breath Rukia grumbled, "If you'd just give me more time…"</p><p>Hitsugaya, having heard her clearly, fixed her with an unimpassioned gaze. "Shinigami have died from far easier opponents in less time, Kuchiki," he reminded her.</p><p>"You could let me work my way up to the five minutes," she protested. "How am I supposed to <em>learn</em>?"</p><p>He remained unmoved. "I am motivating you by your failure, not your improvement," he said, voice irritatingly calm. "Which do you think is more likely in reality?"</p><p>Rukia looked away, too tired to argue and unwilling to admit that he had a point. Besides, Captain Hitsugaya seemed to be very particular about time and she didn't want to spend her precious fifteen minutes butting heads with him.</p><p>Rukia didn't kill her first hollow until her third attempt.</p><p>At the beginning of the second round she felt like she was prepared this time but when Hitsugaya released the hollow it was much bigger and stronger than before, and she realized that the captain had more tricks up his sleeve that she had given him credit for.</p><p>She created seven hollow copies in her second attempt and nine in her third attempt, killing one. In her fourth attempt she created six and killed two. Her fifth attempt was her best, creating six and killing four. Each time the hollows were much more difficult to defeat than the previous times but the more she made attempts, the more she realized that the increase in the hollow's power was not the problem. It was the damn five minutes. Every time the bell rang, Captain Hitsugaya would take her place and quickly finish them off, never giving her any extra time.</p><p>After the fifth attempt, Hitsugaya declared they would stop for the day. Rukia, still unhappy at not being able to completely clear the field on her own, failed to notice the remarkable improvement she had made in less than a half hour. Hitsugaya's quick and easy work of the hollows, which he insisted on doing alone and which she thought had to be him showing off somehow, had also soured her feelings for him at the moment, and so she also failed to notice the appraisal in his eyes when he looked at her.</p><p>"Let me see your arm," he said to her and she became suddenly aware of a stinging pain in her right arm. She'd made contact with the ground, and was dragged for a few yards in her last attempt. The hollows didn't have much offensive abilities and so this was her one and only injury of the day.</p><p>"It's nothing, Captain, no need to bother—"</p><p>"Did I ask, Kuchiki?" he retorted and just reached for her hand, pulling up the long, torn sleeve of her shihakusho with surprising carefulness. Rukia frowned but obligingly twisted her elbow to see her own skinned flesh and congealing blood.</p><p>Hitsugaya began to heal her, the bright blue kido flickering from his fingertips. He didn't touch her exactly, but he left the imprint of his fingers on her skin somehow and Rukia endeavoured not to shiver.</p><p>"Tomorrow we'll continue today's activity," he said suddenly, causing Rukia to jump. "Reflect on what you did wrong today and how you're going to approach this task better tomorrow.'</p><p>When he was done he stepped away from her, leaving Rukia feeling wrong-footed for some inconceivable reason.</p><p>"You can go rest now, Kuchiki," he told her, and his voice was definitively <em>kind</em>—which she had never heard before, and it caused her to blink owlishly for a moment, evoking a very tiny twitch of the young captain's mouth that she immediately labelled a smile, regardless.</p><p>"Yes, sir," she nodded, and then, remembering her manners, gave a quick bow, "Thank you, sir."</p><p>He waved her off and she turned to leave but found her footsteps were quite slow, and when she was all but gone, she turned to look over her shoulder, but Captain Hitsugaya was looking at the sky above him, where the first stars were twinkling into place, and didn't seem to notice.</p><hr/><p>Rukia didn't clear the field until the third day. By then the hollows were on the level of top-tier hollows like Grand Fisher and they were no longer, by comparison, clumsy and defenceless. At the end, Rukia had still made the hollow split into two. But she had managed to dispatch them in four minutes and fifty-three seconds, without incurring any injury herself except for a small shallow gash across her right cheek caused by some flying bone when the hollow mask had been shattered. It stung but she didn't care, turning to face Hitsugaya with a beaming smile, teeth and all.</p><p>He looked at her with an odd expression. If Rukia were paying attention (which she wasn't because that sweet victory was too exhilarating—she wondered if she had broken some kind of record) she would have noticed that his gaze softened at her smile, a little exasperated. The more complicated part of it was him hiding his surprise behind expected nonchalance, like he had expected no less, but was still duly impressed anyway.</p><p>Truthfully, Hitsugaya knew she would complete this challenge without a problem, and didn't think it would be that difficult for her. He just didn't think she would do it this <em>soon.</em></p><p>"Not bad, Kuchiki," he allowed, as impassive as always.</p><p>It didn't dim her smile and she gave a breathless laugh. "Very effusive with your praise, Captain."</p><p>"There's still work to be done, Kuchiki," he said. "You haven't passed this task yet."</p><p>"I—what?" She straightened up, looking at him in disbelief. The way the happiness leached out of her face was distressing.</p><p>"What do you think?" he asked her pointedly.</p><p>Rukia caught her breath, closing her eyes for a minute. "You want me to defeat them without making them split at all," she answered with considerable calm. The elation was completely gone. She rather felt a little embarrassed at her excessive (for her) self-congratulation from before, now that she was actually thinking about it. She had been blinded by the specificity of her failure these pass three days that she had forgotten what the original goal was.</p><p>Hitsugaya nodded, feeling her disappointment, but before he could say anything she straightened her shoulders, looking at him with renewed determination. "I can do that," she said firmly. "I can definitely do that, Captain Hitsugaya."</p><p>He wasn't expecting this level of immediate resolve, and actually expected her to indulge in her disappointment for a while longer. He found himself caught up in the way she'd said that last line and his name, like it was a personal promise to <em>him</em> that she was making.</p><p>"Good," he said, clearing his throat, "I'll hold you to that tomorrow."</p><p>Rukia blinked. "Tomorrow? I'm not tired, Captain, I can go again—"</p><p>He shook his head and pointed upward. "It's late, Kuchiki, and <em>I </em>still have work to do in the morning."</p><p>Rukia let her head fall back, looking up at the darkened sky, where the stars were bright, recalling the image in her mind of the young captain looking up at them.</p><p>She startled when something warm brushed up against her cheek, her eyes darting to the man in front of her. Hitsugaya was focused on healing the cut on her cheek but he caught her eyes. Rukia's first instinct was to pull away, immediately and violently, but she managed to stay still.</p><p>Hitsugaya didn't leave much to read in his eyes, she thought as they both hastily looked away, but they were very pretty.</p><p>When he was done she couldn't help but bring her own hand to the side of her face, mumbling her thanks. If he thought anything about it, he didn't let on, merely nodding.</p><p>"I'll go," she said, somewhat bashfully, glad for the surrounding darkness to hide whatever ridiculous expression was on her face right then. "I'll, uh, see you tomorrow."</p><p>She took off then, but perhaps too quickly because then he was calling her back. When she stopped and looked over at him, all he said was: "Don't run."</p><p>Confused, Rukia just nodded and left with determinedly slower but overly self-conscious steps, missing entirely the way his mouth quirked up at the corner as he watched her leave.</p><hr/><p>Over the next few weeks Rukia continued to improve. The change in her abilities was so vast and observable that even she couldn't downplay it. Captain Hitsugaya was strict, tough, and unrelenting, but he was <em>good</em>.</p><p>He made her fight hollows he obtained from the Twelfth Division with all manner of restrictions and time limits. They were never as easy as they appeared at first and increased in difficulty every time she failed and had to try again. But the way she thought about them and what to expect changed over time, and the time it took her to complete each task was steadily growing shorter and shorter.</p><p>For the most part, she wasn't allowed to release Shirayuki, except, of course, when she sparred with Hitsugaya himself. As good as she was doing in each task, there was no way she could last a productive length of time against him with just an unsealed zanpakuto.</p><p>Hitsugaya never bothered to release Hyorinmaru, and he couldn't even if he wanted to. But the dragon was very much engaged in their fights, and her training on the whole, he'd told her, and had come around enough to tell Hitsugaya that he won't be able to release him until they got this trial over with. When the next trial would be, Hyorinmaru didn't know either. Like he had said before, when the powers-that-be deemed him ready, he would know. He could only prepare himself in the meantime. The training with her seemed to be helping. At the very least, Hyorinmaru was talking to him again.</p><p>Rukia couldn't help but be pleased by this, thinking that she was the only Shinigami in the history of ever to have a connection to someone else's zanpakuto spirit. She didn't dare say this out loud, however, which was good, because then Hitsugaya would have told her about Sojiro Kusaka.</p><p>Over this time Rukia found herself growing more comfortable with Captain Hitsugaya. She still could not forget that he was a captain but she awarded his patience and attentiveness by being kinder to him. She found herself smiling more often when she was around him and was relaxed enough to banter with him casually, going so far as to retort to his more cynical quips. She still didn't dare speak to him like she would Ichigo or Renji but he didn't provoke her like those two did either, or irritate her nearly as much—though Hitsugaya did have his moments of being frustrating.</p><p>Rukia still tried to maintain some distance though, if only for her own sake. But Captain Hitsugaya seemed determined to make that as hard as possible. Take for instance what he told her one day as they wrapped up their sparring session:</p><p>"I think it would be best if you stayed in my office during the day. With all the work that we've been doing, I think my next trial could be any time now." He'd said this with a straight face and a little frown, like he was really thinking about it.</p><p>He had never asked her what she did with her free time in the morning, but Rukia thought she stayed plenty close. She wasn't sure within what range of distance she would still be able to feel Hitsugaya's reiatsu but she could feel it just fine from her temporary quarters in the Tenth Division and anywhere else in the Tenth Division she had been to so far, which wasn't many since she was still trying to keep a low profile. Still, she tried to stay as nearby as possible during the day, and now that she didn't train in the mornings anymore, she had taken up sitting on the rooftops of buildings nearby his office. They weren't quite as convenient as the one back at the Thirteenth Division but they worked fine.</p><p>Rukia had agreed somewhat reluctantly, having no reason to refuse, which is how she found herself sitting in a designated corner of his office, without any idea what to do with herself.</p><p>It was very quiet. The only sound was the scratch of Hitsugaya's brush against paper. Rukia could do nothing but look out the window, incredibly bored.</p><p>"Stop fidgeting, Kuchiki," came suddenly with a sigh.</p><p>She immediately froze, realizing she had been tapping her finger on the table before her. Slowly, her hand retreated to her lap. "My apologies, Captain Hitsugaya."</p><p>He put his pen down, looking weary, and leaned back in his seat. "Do you really have nothing else to do?"</p><p>She really didn't. Ukitake had assured her that he and his two third seats could handle any of the work that she usually did, and without being allowed to go on missions or go to the Human World, there was really nothing for Rukia to <em>do</em>. Besides train, which she was already doing a lot of.</p><p>So she shook her head.</p><p>Hitsugaya drummed his fingers on his desktop, like he hadn't thought this would be a problem when he'd ask her to sit in his office in the mornings. "What have you been normally doing all this time then?" he asked.</p><p>She'd been knitting that special thing, truthfully, but had felt far too self-conscious to bring it with her today, so she just shrugged noncommittally.</p><p>He looked unimpressed but let it go, simply saying, "Feel free to bring whatever it is, it would be better than sitting around not doing anything."</p><p>Rukia nodded absently, and seeing that he seemed to be taking a break, said, "There is a question that I have wanted to ask for a while."</p><p>Hitsugaya, relaxed, nodded for her to go ahead.</p><p>"It is about Lieutenant Hinamori."</p><p>"You want to know why she's been relieved of duty but still holds the lieutenant's title," he guessed and Rukia nodded.</p><p>Hinamori had been relieved of duty as far back as when Aizen had fled Soul Society. At first it had been because of the ongoing investigation, but even after that was over and it was clear that she had had no active part in their treachery, she had not been reinstated, mostly due to recovery reasons. Yet still now, months after his defeat, she had yet to be returned the armband or replaced. Given her unfortunate role in the previous affair and the speculation that had clouded her for a while, there were many rumours relating to the Fifth Division, and as Aizen was not there to shoulder the controversy, it was given to Hinamori instead. Hitsugaya had a good idea about what was being said and wasn't surprised that Kuchiki had heard and subsequently asked.</p><p>"It is rare for a seated officer to be demoted," he began, "Especially a captain or lieutenant. This is because there usually aren't that many Shinigami at the level required that would be ready to take their place, so the Head Captain was unwilling to remove her at the time when it seemed we needed as many powerful Shinigami as we could find, especially given that we were missing three captains. But she also could no longer hold the position as she used to before. The compromise was that she would keep the position in name only and act as a reserve if we needed her."</p><p>"But Lieutenant Hinamori seems to be doing better now," Rukia said, having seen the other girl around several times or with Renji and the others. She looked like she was all but back to normal. "Why haven't they reinstated her?"</p><p>"Because we have the Visored," he answered, which caused her to frown. "Usually, the lieutenant that served under a captain replaces that captain if there are no captain-level Shinigami available," he explained. "Lieutenants are expected to always be aiming to achieve bankai for this very reason. If they haven't unlocked their bankai by the time they need to be made a captain then the position is left vacant for them until they do, within reason, of course. Hinamori would have been poised to replace Aizen as captain of the Fifth Division, as would have Hisagi and Kira for their divisions. But with the Visored returning to their previous positions as captains, there was no need to promote any lieutenants prematurely. The issue is that there are more Visored than there are positions for them. Five of the eight have already achieved bankai and the remaining three are at the level of lieutenant, at least. We have no need to replace lieutenants, with the exception of the Thirteenth Division, which has always been a special case, and Hinamori, who currently exists in a state of limbo."</p><p>"You mean Head Captain Yamamoto is thinking of replacing Lieutenant Hinamori?" Rukia asked, somewhat shocked.</p><p>"The Head Captain does not have that power, Kuchiki. If we need to fill a Lieutenant's position, the captain of that division will usually nominate a member from within the division, more often than not the current third seat. Other captains can nominate members from their own divisions as well if there is an officer that would qualify. All nominees have to be approved by the current captains before they are allowed to sit the lieutenant's exam. Hinamori will have the opportunity to prove herself worthy of the position, just like all of the other candidates."</p><p>"That doesn't seem fair to Lieutenant Hinamori," Rukia pointed out.</p><p>"Perhaps not," he agreed. "But it isn't the decision of any one person. The current captains all agreed on this."</p><p>"Even you?"</p><p>"Yes, Kuchiki, even me."</p><p>Rukia's expression at this was easily read by the perceptive captain. "Despite everything, I think Momo will keep the position," he said. "That's why I agreed."</p><p>Rukia shifted in her seat. "Aren't you worried at all? That she'll lose it?"</p><p>"Of course I worry," he said plainly, matter-of-factly, but his open admittance struck her very forcefully. "What I don't have is <em>doubt</em>, Kuchiki. I don't doubt Hinamori's abilities just like I don't doubt my own, or yours for that matter."</p><p>Rukia flushed at this before she even fully registered that she was rather touched by it. Hitsugaya watched her with something like amusement. "Yes, Kuchiki, I don't doubt you either," he said, "I wouldn't have agreed to train you if I had. When I say I believe you can become a lieutenant, it's because I believe it. I don't hope or assume."</p><p>"That's—I—thank you," she struggled to find the words, or maintain eye-contact. She was suddenly very flustered, yet despite saying those words that made her that way, Hitsugaya was still calm, and rather seemed to be enjoying watching her tither. "But I'm afraid I'll disappoint you anyway," she admitted regretfully. "All the belief in the world won't make me a lieutenant."</p><p>"If you are afraid of disappointing me then you have the wrong motivations, Kuchiki," he said, frowning. "You're motivated by your fear. Captain Kuchiki is likely motivated by this as well."</p><p>Rukia gave a little hum and said, "I have another question."</p><p>His frown deepened but if she did not want to continue talking about it then he would not press her. He gestured for her to ask.</p><p>"It is about Lieutenant Matsumoto."</p><p>He arched an eyebrow. "Are you just asking questions about the people around me?"</p><p>She gave him a sheepish smile. "You would probably be able to answer them. It would be awkward to ask the person."</p><p>"And it's okay to ask me?"</p><p>Rukia pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them, turning her head to look at him. Hitsugaya silently marvelled at how she had made herself appear so small.</p><p>"I can only ask you, I think," she mused. "But you don't have to answer."</p><p>He gave her an exasperated look but eyed her expectantly anyway.</p><p>"Did Lieutenant Matsumoto…not want to be a captain?" she asked hesitantly.</p><p>"She has never expressed any ambition to be one," he said with a shrug. "But only she can say." Honestly, he thought she didn't want the responsibility and work involved, and seemed to be completely content with where she was right now.</p><p>"Huh," Rukia said absentmindedly. "I think she would make a good captain."</p><p>"Yes, probably, but I pity her lieutenant," he replied wryly.</p><p>Rukia giggled and then tried to cover it with a cough. Hitsugaya seemed to soften at the sound. "You can laugh, Kuchiki, I don't have any rules against laughing as long as it's not loud or obnoxious."</p><p>Another giggle bubbled up her throat. "That—sounds like a rule."</p><p>After having sat bored for half of the morning, and all of the training she had been doing lately, Rukia was very tired, which might explain the giddy and lulled feeling she was in right now. The office was noiseless and calm and she was having a nice, comfortable conversation with Captain Hitsugaya, wherein he seemed to be willingly giving her his time to answer her questions and talk to her, giving her very detailed and thorough explanations. She didn't know what she had done to deserve that but it was…nice.</p><p>"You…were never a lieutenant," she said slowly.</p><p>"That's not a question."</p><p>"Yes? No? Then, <em>why</em> were you never a lieutenant? Doesn't seem fair…" She shot him a weakly accusatory glare with no real heat.</p><p>"I never had the privilege of wearing the lieutenant's armband, no," he confirmed, ignoring her petty jealousy. "When the previous Tenth Division captain disappeared there was no Shinigami qualified to take his place. At the time, I was already doing most of the division paperwork and was practically running the division as a captain would. Rather than immediately replace him, it was agreed that Matsumoto and I would continue to run things, which was much like we do now, while I worked on achieving my bankai to eventually become the official captain."</p><p>"You were just a third seat?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Rukia was looking at him with open admiration and Hitsugaya didn't smile, exactly—at least his mouth didn't. But she could see it in his eyes.</p><p>"You must have been the first captain to be promoted from a seated position," she said.</p><p>Surprisingly, he shook his head. "Second," he corrected her. "Urahara was promoted from the third seat of the Second Division to captain of the Twelfth almost a hundred years before me."</p><p>"Oh." She hadn't known that. "That was before my time. I only remember when you were made captain."</p><p>And then she fell into thoughtful silence.</p><p>"No more questions?" he prompted her.</p><p>She thought about it. "No, I think that's it for now."</p><p>He raised an eyebrow at the <em>for now</em>, but was already reaching for his brush. Kuchiki seemed on the verge of falling asleep and he thought it would be best to leave her to it. Which is, of course, when his door was forced open to reveal a smiling Matsumoto.</p><p>"Captain," she began in a sing-song voice, "I have a very important message for—oh, Kuchiki-san, you're here."</p><p>Rukia, who had been startled into an upright position, blinked at her. "Yes?"</p><p>Matsumoto grinned at her, completely forgetting her captain. "I have a message for you from Captain Hirako," she announced, and plopped herself down by the other girl.</p><p>Rukia's brow furrowed. "For me? Why for me?"</p><p>"Captain Hirako is the Shinigami temporarily taking over your duties in the Human World while you play with my captain," Matsumoto explained.</p><p>Hitsugaya, who had gone back to his paperwork, shot her a glare that she pretended not to see. Rukia did see and she flushed a bit at the implication.</p><p>"Seems a bit overkill to send a captain for a routine patrol," Hitsugaya said coolly.</p><p>Matsumoto gave him a blank look, surprised that he had even spoken. "Oh, captain, are you interested in this, too?"</p><p>He ignored her.</p><p>"Anyway, it's only temporary, and he volunteered for it, so there," she waved her hand dismissively. "And Kuchiki-san's—can I call you Rukia? Yes? Call me Rangiku. Oh, you're so cute. Anyway, Rukia-chan's duties in the Human World aren't like normal patrols, right Rukia-chan?" and she gave Rukia a mischievous smile.</p><p>Rukia didn't notice, too caught up in her thoughts. "But why would Captain Hirako volunteer? And what message could he have for me?"</p><p>"Look at those eyes, Captain. Don't you think Rukia-chan has pretty eyes?" Matsumoto was beaming at her. Rukia flushed in self-consciousness, not daring to look over at the captain.</p><p>She heard him grunt in a non-response and then say: "Just deliver your message so I can get back to work."</p><p>"So huffy," Matsumoto teased. "Don't worry, Captain, you have the prettiest eyes of all."</p><p>"Matsumoto," he warned.</p><p>"Right, right," she turned back to Rukia, "He said if you had any messages to send to your friends, to give them to him and he would pass it along. Isn't that nice of him? I told him you can't really leave here, but you can give it to me and I'll give it to him. He's leaving later this evening."</p><p>"Oh," Rukia blinked. "That's, yes—I'll have to thank him—" she turned to Hitsugaya, "Is it alright if I burrow a…"</p><p>Silently, he passed her a blank sheet of paper, a brush and some ink. She was so focused on what she was doing that she didn't notice the little frown between his eyes. Matsumoto did and it caused her smile to broaden. She leaned in closer to the little Kuchiki, keeping an eye on her captain.</p><p>"You should say something to everyone, you know, explain why you won't be seeing them for a while. Ichigo would worry about you. And what about that glasses fella? And that big guy with the accent? Oh, and those two cuties from Ichigo's class. You don't want them worrying about you, right? You know what happens when Ichigo gets worried about you."</p><p>Rukia considered her with a small smile. "Ichigo can't see me anymore," she said softly.</p><p>Matsumoto's smile turned sympathetic. "Ah, I'm sorry Rukia-chan, I forgot." Completely genuine, she asked, "You must miss him, huh?"</p><p>To which Rukia gave a non-committal shrug.</p><p>In the end, she wrote to only Orihimi, who was the only person she had had contact with recently, though very briefly each time, and then gave it to Matsumoto. Matsumoto, eager to make herself scarce again in the hopes that she could remain free for the rest of the day, beleaguered her captain with her very legitimate reason for leaving and promptly left.</p><p>Rukia looked over at Hitsugaya, who was frowning in the direction his lieutenant had just disappeared. She felt somewhat embarrassed by the whole thing but couldn't figure out why.</p><p>Surprisingly, it was Hitsugaya who broke the awkward silence.</p><p>"Captain Ukitake monitors the substitute, correct?" he asked with a frown.</p><p>Rukia blinked at him. "Yes?"</p><p>"Then why are you still assigned to Kurosaki and his friends?"</p><p>"I'm not?" she said, confused. "Karakura Town is my patrol assignment."</p><p>"You still contact them," he pointed out.</p><p>"They're my friends," she said, baffled at his almost accusatory tone. "And I only see Inoue-san occasionally—I try not to interfere in Ichigo's or Ishida-kun's or Sado-kun's lives. I only meet with Inoue-san because she insisted."</p><p>Hitsugaya's frown didn't let up and actually, a shadow seemed to have passed over his eyes. Despite knowing that the captain had a highly established reputation for being irritable and severe, he had been nothing but a firm and patient teacher to Rukia all this time, and no matter how much she messed up during their training or felt like she had wasted his time, he had never looked so displeased at her as he did then.</p><p>"But you don't need to do this, correct?"</p><p>"I—I guess not," she answered hesitantly. "But Captain Ukitake also thinks it's good to remain on good terms with the allies we have in the Human World."</p><p>"And what does Hirako have to do with this?" Captain Hitsugaya didn't seem reassured by her answers, though Rukia was in the dark about what exactly she was supposed to be assuring him about, and seemed to be interrogating her more than anything.</p><p>"That," Rukia said with a little frown of her own, "I don't know. But if he volunteered it could be because he has business with Urahara?" she suggested. "I doubt it has anything to do with me."</p><p>Hitsugaya seemed to relax at this, giving her a little nod. "It's not good to be distracted," he said, somewhat absently and Rukia wasn't sure he'd said it for her.</p><p>He went back to his paperwork then without another word, leaving Rukia wondering which part of what she'd said had dissolved the comfortable atmosphere from before.</p><hr/><p> </p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Rukia receives some news, Hitsugaya becomes a third wheel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  <em>Before he could think about it, he extended his hand to her. In apparently the same unthinking frame of mind, she took it.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Hitsugaya had convinced himself that asking Kuchiki to stay with him in his office had been a reasonable request. It had been about a month that they had been together and it had been on his mind where she disappeared to every morning. He knew she was nearby but Kuchiki had become so good at manipulating her reiatsu that he couldn't ever pinpoint where she was.</p><p>It began to wear on his concentration, wondering where she was. A few times he had taken to walking around outside on his breaks but he never saw a trace of her. It gave him an itchy feeling to feel her so near but not be able to see her. So, for the sake of his concentration and his work he had asked her to stay with him.</p><p>Even Hyorinmaru found this excuse to be so thin that he hadn't bothered to comment.</p><p>But even with Kuchiki being right there where he could see her, Hitsugaya found himself distracted all the same, this time by the little Shinigami directly. To be fair, the girl didn't try to be distracting. She sat quietly and generally didn't talk to him unless he was on a break. Even when Matsumoto was there, Kuchiki made it a point to keep their chatting quiet—it was probably for this reason that Matsumoto diligently stayed away from his office during this time, or at least, more than she did normally. Kuchiki had gotten over herself and brought her knitting with her and he had watched the soft ball of blue yarn become a long, soft scarf. It was not perfect but the attention and effort she put into making it enthralled Hitsugaya. Several times he had almost asked her <em>why</em> she was doing it, or, more specifically, if she was making it for herself or someone else, but always caught himself.</p><p>She also spent her free time practising her calligraphy. When he had asked her why, since she was already so competent at writing, and she had somewhat sheepishly explained that Byakuya excelled at calligraphy.</p><p>Hitsugaya also found himself talking to her quite a lot. Kuchiki talked to him about all manner of things but seemed especially curious about the inner workings of the Gotei Thirteen, specifically things only captains would generally know. In return, she told him about her experiences in the Human World.</p><p>When she had been arrested there, and again when the dust had settled after Aizen's betrayal, there had been an official report of the entire thing, but it was different hearing her speak about it directly. The more Hitsugaya learned, the more he realized that they really had made a mess of things themselves during that time, with how they had handled the whole thing. It made him feel that Kuchiki was somewhat pitiful, though he now knew she was anything but. At the very least, the girl didn't seem to want an apology.</p><p>Talking to her also seemed to be detrimental to his paperwork; because Kuchiki diligently only spoke to him when he was taking a break, he found himself taking more frequent, longer breaks so he could talk to her more.</p><p>He found himself looking at her often, too. That she was pretty he already knew—Matsumoto had pointed it out to him the first time he had ever seen her, many years ago across the street, trailing behind Ukitake. He hadn't thought much of it at the time; pretty or ugly made no difference to him. He thought about it quite often <em>now</em>, though, and frequently found himself wanting to tell her this, just to see the way her eyes would widen and her face would flush.</p><p>Altogether, though he found his thoughts wandering more often than not, his time spent with Kuchiki was rather enjoyable, and he could admit that he liked having her around. He was aware of course, that eventually, she would leave. This thought made him frown and he looked over at the girl.</p><p>She was currently asleep, napping on the tabletop with her face pressed flat against the surface, causing her cheek to bulge almost comically. He was pretty sure she was resting on the calligraphy she had just been practising, brush still held loosely in her hand, and he hoped for her sake that the ink had dried before she had decided to fall asleep there.</p><p>There was a small soft frown between her eyes, dark eyebrows pulled together ever so slightly, and he wondered if she were dreaming.</p><p>Carefully, he got to his feet and approached her. Looking down at her from above it struck him how defenceless she seemed right then. Having trained with her for the better part of a month, Hitsugaya knew she was quite strong and fierce and that her looks betrayed almost nothing of what she was truly capable of. But even so, he couldn't help the protectiveness he felt in that moment, and reached down to pull the brush carefully from her hand.</p><p>As he had suspected, the black ink had already bled onto the side of her face, the writing properly smudged by her cheek. The ink was a stark contrast against her fair skin and his lips twitched at the sight.</p><p>Carefully, Hitsugaya sat down next to her, only to arrange the writing utensils on the desk, he told himself. But when he was done, he didn't leave right away. A few strands of her dark hair had fallen across her face and he found himself carefully brushing them away. Gentle wasn't a word often used to describe the Tenth Division captain, but he could truly be called it in that moment.</p><p>Kuchiki's frown deepened and Hitsugaya wondered if she was having a bad dream. His fingers were still hovering close to her skin and he thought back to the time she had pressed her finger to his forehead.</p><p>He had been looking into what had happened between them, of course, but could find no research that came even close. He was almost convinced that it truly had been some kind of freak accident and that it couldn't possibly happen again. But now he wondered if perhaps they really were connected somehow, but it was hard for him to decide if he really thought that or if he just wanted that to be true.</p><p>And now, with her sitting so close, he couldn't resist the temptation to just touch her, just to see. He just wanted to know if there was any chance…</p><p>Hitsugaya gently pressed the tips of his fingertips to her brow, just where that little <em>V </em>formed, and only had the time to register that her skin was smooth and soft there before her eyes blinked open, catching his with surprising alertness.</p><p>Both froze for a moment, but then Hitsugaya retrieved his hand. "I hope what you were writing wasn't important," he said calmly.</p><p>The girl blinked and it seemed to take her a moment to realize. A horrified look crossed her face and she immediately sat up, looking down at the hopelessly ruined piece of paper. As he had suspected, the side of her face was blotched with ink.</p><p>"Oh no," she sighed.</p><p>Hitsugaya leaned back, watching curiously as she cleaned up the mess regretfully. He studied the girl sitting next to him. "You think very highly of your brother," he noted. He himself didn't think Captain Kuchiki was any more notable than the other captains. The only captains that really stood out to him were Ukitake and Kyoraku, and the Head Captain, of course.</p><p>"I do," she said simply but firmly.</p><p>"I hope he appreciates your effort," he mumbled under his breath.</p><p>"What?" she looked at him suspiciously. It was hard to take her seriously with her mussed hair and ink-stained cheek.</p><p>"Nothing."</p><p>Her frown deepened but she seemed to let it go. She turned back to sorting through the sheets of paper and Hitsugaya went back to observing her.</p><p>"Captain Hitsugaya," she said calmly.</p><p>"Hmm?"</p><p>"Why are you here?"</p><p>"This is my office?"</p><p>"Yes, but—" Kuchiki tapped the sheets of paper on the table top so they all lined up and then put them to the side. "—why are you <em>here</em>?" She looked at him from the corner of her eye, the curve of her cheek that he could see dusted pink.</p><p>He cleared his throat, immediately looking to get up. "I came to wake you. It's time to train."</p><p>"Oh," she said.</p><p>Hitsugaya got to his feet and headed for his zanpakuto, strapping it to his back and completely missing the almost forlorn look that crossed her face.</p><hr/><p>It was several days later that Captain Hitsugaya received a visitor. Rukia had, unfortunately, gone to relieve her boredom by taking a walk around the squad grounds, so he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do with this visitor, exactly, who after a stiffly polite greeting, had taken to eyeing every corner of his office with unreadable eyes.</p><p>"If you are looking for Kuchiki Rukia, she should be somewhere outside nearby."</p><p>"Yes, I can tell," Kuchiki Byakuya said impassively. "I am here to see you."</p><p>Hitsugaya carefully laid his brush aside, deciding to give the other captain at least 70% of his attention, which was more than he usually gave his visitors.</p><p>"Rukia has informed me of your temporary arrangement. Without asking for details, I understand that she must stay within close range to you, for the time being, correct?"</p><p>"Yes, that's right," Hitsugaya confirmed, unable to help his scowl. "If you have a problem with that, it's a bit late—"</p><p>"Whether I have a problem with it or not is not the issue," Byakuya interrupted him, and Hitsugaya remembered why he never particularly liked talking to the Sixth Division captain.</p><p>"Rukia's birthday is tomorrow," Byakuya went on, which was news to Hitsugaya. "I came here to ask that you accommodate my taking her out for a few hours tomorrow night."</p><p>Hitsugaya arched an eyebrow. Byakuya had asked <em>that</em> he accommodate them, not <em>if</em> he would accommodate them. Hitsugaya leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and considering the man before him. He had heard, from Matsumoto—who had heard from Renji, what had happened on the Sokyoku Hill after the traitors had fled, specifically what the Sixth Division captain had relayed to his sister. Hitsugaya hadn't cared much, at that time, but he did know enough to have a fairly good idea of Rukia's relationship with her adoptive brother. He didn't like to get involved in anyone else's matters and usually chose options that made his own life simpler—he wanted to tell Byakuya <em>no</em> out of convenience, but thought back to a little dark head bobbing over a calligraphy brush and thought with some sentimentality that he was growing soft in his old-ish age.</p><p>"Even if I were willing to, I'm not sure how that would be possible," he said at last.</p><p>"I will be taking her to the restaurant on the Seireitei Canal. I'm sure you are familiar with it."</p><p>Hitsugaya nodded but really, he had only ever heard of the place, he had never been there. He wasn't paid enough to go.</p><p>"You can accompany my sister there tomorrow evening," the other captain went on. "I have reserved two tables and will pay for your meal in exchange for your cooperation."</p><p>Hitsugaya thought the other man was rather presumptuous but all things considered, though Hitsugaya was prideful, he wasn't needlessly difficult, and he didn't particularly like being owed favours. If Kuchiki thought he needed to repay him, then Hitsugaya wasn't going to get in his way.</p><p>"Are you prepared to keep that promise, Captain Kuchiki?" he asked, a bit smug.</p><p>Byakuya's face made its first real expression in the conversation and frowned, though just barely. But Hitsugaya knew he couldn't eat enough to take a drop out of the ocean that was Byakuya's wealth and calmly waited for his response.</p><p>"I am not in the habit of saying things I don't mean," Byakuya said coolly.</p><p>"Good to know," Hitsugaya replied dryly. "But you can be assured we'll be there."</p><p>Byakuya had the good grace to give his thanks and then leave. Hitsugaya felt his spiritual pressure disappear and frowned. He hadn't even bothered to look for Rukia.</p><p>Nevertheless, Hitsugaya went out to find her and deliver the news. Which was how he stumbled upon this scene:</p><p>Rukia was standing amongst some of the newest members of his division—Hitsugaya could just <em>see</em> how green they were, but he had also spent a considerable amount of time staring at their faces in their application forms recently and he could name quite a few, if not all of them. She was holding out her zanpakuto in its unsealed form, the white sword captivating the small audience quite easily. Hitsugaya himself had only recently come to appreciate what was called the most beautiful zanpakuto in Soul Society, having never really seen it before, but he liked to think he didn't have stars in his eyes when he looked at it. Certainly, it was not the kind of reception Hyorinmaru received when others saw him for the first time but then again, Hyorinmaru's reputation wasn't based on beauty, it was based on power.</p><p>"It appears I don't give my new recruits enough work, if they can be found dallying so early in the day," he commented wryly.</p><p>Immediately, all eyes snapped to him. He would be lying if he said it wasn't gratifying the way they all snapped to attention, bowing, and greeting him respectfully. It hadn't always been this easy when he'd first become captain, and he'd had to work for this kind of immediate respect.</p><p>Rukia looked at the display before her with more than a little amusement and, though she didn't give the same attention as the officers around her, she nodded her head politely.</p><p>Hitsugaya directed his gaze at the tallest officer before him. "What is this about?"</p><p>"Rukia-san was just showing us her unsealed zanpakuto, sir!" said the boy who, if Hitsugaya remembered correctly, was surnamed Takeru. "Most of us have never seen one, sir."</p><p>Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at the casual address, glancing at the girl from the corners of his eyes. Rukia didn't seem too bothered, sheathing her zanpakuto.</p><p>"And I trust that means you have already finished your duties for the day?"</p><p>Takeru faltered and the officers around him glanced at the captain nervously.</p><p>"We were taking a break," Takeru said nervously. "And Rukia-san happened to walk by, and we got to talking and…"</p><p>Hitsugaya tucked his arms into his sleeves. "I see," he said. "And when would this break be over?"</p><p>Of course, because Hitsugaya set strict restrictions for who could enter his division, the officers before him were not dumb.</p><p>"Right now, sir!" Takeru declared hastily. "We were just taking our leave." He seemed ready to scurry off, but then paused and turned back to Rukia, giving her a quick bow and saying hurriedly, "Thank you, Rukia-san, goodbye, Rukia-san!"</p><p>This was immediately followed by a rather sheepish chorus of <em>Goodbye, Rukia-san!</em></p><p>Rukia just waved, bemused, watching silently as they fled.</p><p>"I would not consider this keeping a low profile," Hitsugaya commented dryly when they were alone.</p><p>Rukia just shrugged, saying, "They have each seen me around before. If your officers have good enough manners to greet me, then I won't ignore them. Besides, they seemed new and didn't even know who I was."</p><p>"For a noblewoman, you allow them to address you so casually very easily," he said, recalling how readily she had given Matsumoto permission to do just that.</p><p>This made Rukia smile and Hitsugaya realized for the first time that there was a dimple in her left cheek. "For a long time the only name I had was Rukia," she said. "I have great respect for the Kuchiki name and am well aware of my responsibility bearing it, but I have always thought those people who treat me normally can call me by my given name. Only people who see me as <em>only</em> a member of the Kuchiki clan usually call me as such."</p><p>Their eyes met somewhat awkwardly.</p><p>To be clear, Hitsugaya didn't only see her as a noblewoman, which she likely knew. But there were so few people he referred to by their first names, and in the Gotei Thirteen, it was pretty much only Momo. He had always felt that when people gave him permission to call them by their given names, there was an unspoken obligation to return the favour. Having fought extra hard for his recognition as a captain, he found it much simpler to just refer to everyone by their surnames. Of course, he couldn't exactly stop when someone decided to call him Toushiro, Ukitake and Kurosaki for example, but usually no one would dare. Even Matsumoto, for all of her other blatant disregard for his authority, only ever called him captain.</p><p>He and Kuchiki weren't close—they were certainly closer than they had been before, though somewhat forced by the special circumstances, but their relationship wasn't such that he could request permission to call her Rukia, nor did it allow her to simply grant him it. But Hitsugaya realized for the first time that if they continued on like they were now, they would probably get there. He also realized that if his options were to go back to how they were before after they no longer had a reason to interact, or actively continue their relationship, he would want to choose the latter. Whether he would actually choose it or not, he didn't know.</p><p>Hitsugaya cleared his throat. "Your brother has left a message for you," he said, changing the subject.</p><p>Rukia blinked and Hitsugaya found himself wishing she wouldn't do that every time she was even mildly surprised, because it just drew his attention to her large eyes. "Nii-sama? He came here?"</p><p>Hitsugaya nodded, thinking she would be disappointed that he hadn't bothered to see her in person. But she didn't seem the least perturbed.</p><p>"What did he say?" she asked instead, curious and with tempered excitement.</p><p>He explained to her what Byakuya had planned, watching as her face lit up. "Really?"</p><p>He nodded, a bit thrown at the childish quality to her voice. To his surprise, she quickly bowed.</p><p>"Thank you, Captain Hitsugaya!"</p><p>Uncomfortable with her earnestness (if anyone should be thanking him, it should be Byakuya) he nodded vaguely.</p><p>"Will you be okay?" she asked concernedly.</p><p>Hitsugaya snorted. "With your brother paying, I don't see how I could be much better."</p><p>She actually rolled her eyes, startling him and amusing him at the same time. "I meant with…Hyorinmaru, you know—and—" she gestured vaguely.</p><p>Hitsugaya was struck by the way his zanpakuto's name rolled off her tongue, easily, with familiarity, like she had said it a hundred times before. For some reason, this made the zanpakuto in question pleased.</p><p>"I will be fine," he said calmly. "I need to be using my zanpakuto to start anything, so unless a hollow decides to invite himself to your birthday dinner, it shouldn't be a problem."</p><p>Rukia giggled. After he had given her permission to do so, she did this quite often now. Apparently much of what he said sounded funny to her. Though having never thought of himself as funny, he didn't mind.</p><p>"Alright. But really, thank you, Captain."</p><p>"No need to thank me," he said dismissively. "Obviously, we won't be training tomorrow. In that case, we'll be making it up the next day, so I expect you to be prepared."</p><p>"Yes, sir." She smiled brightly at him, and he was somewhat disappointed that she was no longer even the least bit anxious about what he might have planned for her.</p><hr/><p>The restaurant on the Seireitei Canal was called Imperial Moon. It was luxurious enough to have a wide, open plan with a great distance between the tables, several private rooms, and a back deck over the river. It was on this deck that Byakuya had reserved tables.</p><p>Though he didn't care, Hitsugaya had fully expected to catch more than a few stares as the host led him and Rukia through. However, since so few people could afford to dine here, and those who could were mostly of nobility, the few customers there were well-bred enough to just ignore them.</p><p>Hitsugaya thought they were quite stare-worthy, for opposite reasons. Kuchiki had worn a yukata and tied her hair up. The yukata was not extravagant in the least, white with a small spattering of pink flowers at the hem. Yet still when Hitsugaya had collected her from her temporary room that evening, he had done a double-take, as had the host when he had greeted them at the door.</p><p>Hitsugaya had done nothing more that run a half-hearted hand through his hair. Kuchiki hadn't commented on his lack of formal dress and he didn't much care, but he hoped to be secured in his seat before Captain Kuchiki saw him and gave him his signature judgemental stare.</p><p>The tables on the deck were separated from each other by a wooden screen, to allow for some privacy. He and Kuchiki sat with their backs to each other, the screen between them.</p><p>For a while, Hitsugaya just watched as the sun set over the water.</p><p>"Your brother is late," he said flatly.</p><p>"Perhaps we are early?" she said from the other side, and he could just picture the little frown on her face. "Now that you mention it, what time did nii-sama say to be here?"</p><p>Hitsugaya thought about it. "He didn't"</p><p>"And you didn't ask? <em>Captain Hitsugaya</em>," she scolded.</p><p>Hitsugaya was a little tickled at the thought that he was being scolded, but he shrugged, and then remembered that she couldn't see him. "He'll get here eventually, just relax," he said.</p><p>They lapsed into silence for a while.</p><p>And then: "I have a question."</p><p>"I'm not surprised," he drawled. There was more silence and he imagined her pouting. "What is it?" he asked, gentler this time.</p><p>"Your zanpakuto…" she began hesitantly, "Was he treating you coldly before? Why?"</p><p>"Why do you think he was treating me coldly?" he countered calmly.</p><p>"Well," he imagined she was counting off on her fingers, "He didn't tell you about what happened when I entered your soul. You weren't really sure about the details of your trial. You said you wanted me to help you because he liked me. And you mentioned that he wasn't talking to you. My zanpakuto spirit isn't very chatty herself but she wouldn't do those things, I don't think."</p><p>"And why should I tell you?"</p><p>"You don't have to," Kuchiki admitted. "I was just curious."</p><p>"If I tell you, will you answer a question of mine?"</p><p>"Sure," she said readily.</p><p>Hitsugaya looked down at his hand, his thumb tracing the callouses there where Hyorinmaru's hilt usually rested. "My zanpakuto is usually withdrawn," he said, "But lately he has been more so than usual, and reluctant to answer my questions. As to why…" Hitsugaya gazed out at the rippling water. "I assume it is because he is disappointed in my failures. I don't think he believes that I am ready to, or capable of, becoming more powerful." The dragon remained silent inside of him but Hitsugaya didn't try to reach him anyway.</p><p>"I don't think that's true," Kuchiki said, contemplative, but firm. Surprised, Hitsugaya turned his head in her direction, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>"I'm not sure you're qualified to say that, Kuchiki."</p><p>"I'm not saying that I am," she countered easily. "I just don't think that's true."</p><p>"I'm not sure it really matters what you think," he said, not unkindly. She hummed but didn't respond.</p><p>"Now it's my turn," he said. "I want to know why you forgave your brother so easily."</p><p>It wasn't like Hitsugaya didn't know he had asked a highly sensitive, deeply personal question, but as the silence stretched between them he thought he might have underestimated how incensed she would be.</p><p>Just when he began to prepare his apology, she spoke.</p><p>"I forgave him because I wanted to," she said quietly. "But really, I never really blamed him."</p><p>This made Hitsugaya frown. "Abandoning you to die under suspicious circumstances, even going so far as to say he would kill you himself, is not worthy of blame?"</p><p>"I had no idea you felt so strongly about this, Captain Hitsugaya," she said dryly, and a little mockingly.</p><p>"It's a matter of principle," he said, defensive.</p><p>"My brother also has principles," and he heard the rustling of cloth and guessed that she had folded her arms over her chest. "Which is why he did what he did, and <em>I </em>understand, even if <em>you</em> don't."</p><p>He opened his mouth to argue but she cut him off: "Nii-sama has done a lot for me," she said softly, "He didn't have to and it cost him a lot to do it, and I never really had the right to ask for more. So no matter what nii-sama did or didn't do, the thing I felt most for him was gratitude. Even up until the last moment, I was still grateful."</p><p>Hitsugaya leaned back in his chair. That last part was said so softly he was sure he wasn't meant to hear.</p><p>"Besides," she said, voice brighter. "Things are better now. Nii-sama is very straightforward when it comes to the things he dislikes. But when it comes to the things he likes, it's harder to tell. Things like this, remembering my birthday, taking me out—even coming to ask you for a favour, these things may be easy for you and me, but for nii-sama they are huge. That's all that matters to me."</p><p>Hitsugaya wanted to say that that just meant her standards were low, but he had already decided that the relationship between the two Kuchiki siblings was not something he could comment on.</p><p>Byakuya might not treat his sister the way Hitsugaya would treat Rukia if he were her brother, or the way he thought she deserved to be treated, but Byakuya seemed to treat her well enough (now) and if Rukia was happy with the situation, then maybe that really was all that mattered.</p><p>"You're very forgiving," he concluded, feeling the sudden approach of Byakuya's reiatsu.</p><p>"I'm not, I just don't find many things worth holding a grudge over—oh! Nii-sama!"</p><p>There was the sound of a chair dragging hastily across the floor, followed by a few seconds of what Hitsugaya could only describe as flusteredness, and then things quieted down again. Hitsugaya settled himself comfortably in his chair as the server approached, preparing himself for a long night.</p><hr/><p>The Kuchiki siblings didn't talk much, but that was fine with him. He ate his meal in peace and restrained himself from truly testing how far Byakuya's generosity extended. At one point, towards what Hitsugaya guessed to be the end of dessert, Rukia drew her brother's attention to some inane observation of the canal. Hitsugaya wasn't paying attention, not wanting to eavesdrop, but he heard clearly when Byakuya said, "Rukia," in a serious and determined voice.</p><p>"Yes, nii-sama?" And Hitsugaya could depict perfectly the way she blinked those large eyes of hers.</p><p>Byakuya didn't respond immediately, piquing Hitsugaya's interest to the point that he found himself actively listening.</p><p>"I have spoken to Captain Ukitake and the Head Captain," he spoke at last, "About having you sit the lieutenant's exam."</p><p>Hitsugaya, who was holding a delicate china teacup, almost dropped it. Rukia remained silent. He could only hope to imagine what kind of expression she was making right then.</p><p>"They have both given their consent," Byakuya said calmly, like he was merely telling her what he thought of the weather.</p><p>"And what about you, nii-sama?" Rukia whispered, voice so quiet Hitsugaya almost didn't hear it.</p><p>"I made the recommendation," Byakuya replied in his calm voice. "From now on, I will not meddle in your work in the Gotei Thirteen, unless you so wish. I will also not burden you with any personal expectations. The date of the exam has already been set and unfortunately, you will have less time to prepare than the other candidates. You will have to work harder in the time that you do have—"</p><p>"I've been doing that," Rukia interrupted quickly. "I mean—my apologies, nii-sama, I mean I have been doing that—training—every day."</p><p>"I see."</p><p>There was an odd intonation in Byakuya's voice that made the skin on the back of Hitsugaya's neck prickle. He was sure the Sixth Division captain was sending some kind of intense look to the back of his head through the screen.</p><p>"If you need to, you are welcome to come to me for help," continued Byakuya. "Your captain will also be available, should you need him, and I imagine when I inform Renji of this tomorrow, you can expect him to offer as well."</p><p>"Nii-sama…thank you."</p><p>Rukia's voice was so earnest and sincere that even <em>Hitsugaya</em> was touched by it.</p><p>"You don't need to thank me," Byakuya said to her, and it was probably the most human Hitsugaya had ever heard him sound, almost gentle. The girl herself seemed to be struggling for words and Byakuya went on: "Your captain will likely visit you tomorrow with the official paperwork and a meeting will be held among the captains to receive their approval."</p><p>"I understand," Rukia eked out.</p><p>"Good."</p><p>Hitsugaya heard him getting to his feet. "I trust that Captain Hitsugaya will accompany you back?"</p><p>From where he sat Hitsugaya raised his arm lazily into the air in affirmation so it could be seen over the screen.</p><p>"Very well. I will be taking my leave now. Rukia, happy birthday."</p><p>Hitsugaya waited until his spiritual pressure had completely disappeared before he got up and walked over to their table, dropping into Byakuya's vacated seat. To his surprise, Rukia was crying.</p><p>They were quiet tears, merely watery eyes that had spilled over. Silently, Hitsugaya slid a napkin over the table to her. She took it, dried her eyes, and regained her composure.</p><p>"You heard?" she asked, voice gravelly.</p><p>He nodded, folding his arms. "You have your work cut out for you."</p><p>She stilled, but then said. "I have never really thanked you for all you've done for me. I wouldn't be in a good position right now to take the exam if it wasn't for you. So, thank you, really."</p><p>"This will be the last time you thank me until you pass the exam."</p><p>He watched as her mouth opened and then closed, frowning. "And if I don't pass?"</p><p>"Then you don't pass," he said simply. "You'll learn something and try again."</p><p>She bit her lip, an act Hitsugaya couldn't help but find riveting. "You make it sound so easy."</p><p>"It is that easy, Kuchiki. The only people you would care about disappointing if you didn't pass will be less disappointed than you think, if at all. Your brother has already said he won't hold you to any expectations and Captain Ukitake has not taken another lieutenant specifically for you—he's waited this long, I'm willing to believe he'll wait as long as it takes."</p><p>"And you?"</p><p>Hitsugaya had picked up from all of their training that Rukia <em>was</em> worried about disappointing him, but perhaps he had underestimated just how much if she placed him in the same category as Ukitake and her brother.</p><p>"I will get rid of my own lieutenant to show my support," he said, straight-faced.</p><p>Rukia laughed, her face relaxing. Hitsugaya's entire countenance softened. Much gentler, he said to her, "Worry less about failing the exam and more on passing the exam. Between what I still have planned for you and what your brother, captain and Abarai must have planned, I don't think you'll have the time to worry about it anyway."</p><p>She nodded, "Thank yo—I mean—" She blushed in embarrassment. The poor girl looked a bit overwhelmed. Hitsugaya thought it was time that they left, so she could at least be alone in her own room.</p><p>"Let's get going, Kuchiki," he said, standing. Before he could think about it, he extended his hand to her. In apparently the same unthinking frame of mind, she took it, and he pulled her to her feet.</p><p>Rukia couldn't shunpo while wearing a yukata so Hitsugaya, still holding her hand outside of the restaurant, tugged on it and said, "It's too late to walk back. Will you allow me to carry you?"</p><p>For as impatient, brusque and single-minded as he could be, Hitsugaya still had common sense, and was a gentleman (mostly—how he treated Matsumoto didn't count) outside of the battlefield. He watched her face as she debated with herself internally, easily reading her expressions: should she choose the comfortable option and walk but inconvenience him, or should she accept and take the likely uncomfortable ride home.</p><p>Hitsugaya was already thinking about the long walk back amidst her silence when surprisingly, her fingers flexed in his grip and she said, "I might be a bit heavy but…if you don't mind?"</p><p>Kuchiki was not heavy at all. She lay still in his arms, her own wrapped awkwardly around his neck. Her hair greatly tickled the exposed skin at his neck and she was obviously trying very hard to not press her face against him in the brisk, cold wind that he generated.</p><p>Hitsugaya took the route back home that would likely have the least amount of people around because Rukia's white yukata and his white hair seemed to glow in the dark all of a sudden. When they made it back to the barracks, he carefully put her down. It took her a moment to find her footing in the dark. When she had righted herself again, she murmured a quiet <em>Thank you</em>, and stepped away.</p><p>"Sleep well…Rukia." And then he shunpo'd away.</p><hr/><p>The next morning there were two blond captains waiting for him outside of his office—if Ukitake could be called blond. Hirako wasn't someone Hitsugaya had interacted much with. Though he had been a captain before, Hirako was more than a stranger to Hitsugaya, and that was probably true the other way around. Hinamori had talked about her new captain a lot—the entire Fifth Division was in the process of accepting and getting used to a new captain and Hinamori desperately needed someone to share her thoughts with and of course, that someone was Hitsugaya. As far as he could tell, the girl <em>liked</em> her new captain, though she didn't really fully understand him yet and, according to her, he had many eccentricities that needed to be understood. Hitsugaya also couldn't forget the relief and hope he had felt when the Visored had shown up at the battle with Aizen and declared themselves not enemies of the Gotai Thirteen.</p><p>So altogether, Hitsugaya had a favourable view of the captain, but he still wasn't pleased to see him before his office because as certain as he was that Hirako had no reason to be there to see <em>him</em>, he was equally certain that he knew exactly why Hirako was there. And he decided he didn't like it.</p><p>"Well, if it ain't the Chibi captain," Hirako greeted him with a drawl, immediately giving Hitsugaya a clear look at what their relationship was going to be like.</p><p>"<em>Captain Hitsugaya</em>," he emphasized, scowling.</p><p>"Eh," Hirako shrugged.</p><p>Ukitake tried to warm the atmosphere a bit. "Captain Hitsugaya, good morning," he said pleasantly. "I was just telling Captain Hirako about Rukia's good news."</p><p>"I'm happy fer the kid," Hirako said. "Rukia-chan was my first love, y'know."</p><p>Hitsugaya, who was in the middle of unlocking his door, fixed him with a sharp stare. Even Ukitake seemed thrown, but then he laughed.</p><p>"Before you left for the Human World, you told me Inoue-san was your first love," he said.</p><p>Hirako scratched the back of his head, unconcerned. "Did I?"</p><p>Hitsugaya led them into his office, taking his seat and gesturing for them to sit. "Kuchiki should be here soon," he said.</p><p>"I may as well tell you both, then," Ukitake said. "The captains meeting to approve the lieutenant candidates will be held a week from now. The Head Captain has suspended any captain's assignments so that all the captains will be available."</p><p>"Who else is going up fer the position?" Hirako asked, scratching his ear with the tip of his fingernail. "I know Hinamori and Mashiro are, and Rukia-chan obviously."</p><p>"The 7th and 8th seat of the Eleventh and the 4th seat of the Third," Ukitake replied. "They've all received provisional acceptance by their captains."</p><p>"Well, that's good then," Hirako mused. "Should make it interestin'."</p><p>"How has Lieutenant Hinamori's training been going?" Ukitake asked politely. Hitsugaya too looked at Hirako expectantly.</p><p>"'S'fine, if I do say so myself," the captain replied, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "She's about right back in shape now. Haven't seen much recently, since I've been gone, but I asked Kensei and Rose ta look after her. I reckon she's alright."</p><p>"And what about Rukia?" Ukitake asked Hitsugaya.</p><p>He opened his mouth to speak but then the girl in question opened his door herself and stumbled in.</p><p>"Captain Ukitake, Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Hirako," she said, breathless. "My apologies. I overslept and when I felt your reiatsu I came over as quickly as I could."</p><p>She certainly looked like she had, Hitsugaya thought, hair tousled, face flushed and her forehead covered in a thin layer of sweat.</p><p>"No worries, no worries," Ukitake told her kindly.</p><p>Hirako gave her a wide grin. "Rukia-chan!" he said with exaggerated brightness. "Yer lookin' as beautiful as always. I've brought yer some gifts from Orihime-chan. Think fast!" And he tossed her a rather large, lumpy bag she just barely managed to catch.</p><p>"Oh, thank you, Captain Hirako," she said a little awkwardly.</p><p>"Sit down, Kuchiki," Hitsugaya ordered her. Gratefully, she sat.</p><p>"I also have this for you," Ukitake handed her a single file with a smile. "It should prepare you for what to expect at the lieutenant's exam."</p><p>Rukia took it from him, holding it with reverence.</p><p>"Your brother said he would explain everything to you," he continued, to which she nodded. "Good. While you're here at the Tenth I won't be able to assist you much in your training but—" he glanced over at Hitsugaya.</p><p>"I'll take care of it," he said. "You don't need to worry."</p><p>"Now that's real cute," Hirako observed, resting his cheek in the palm of his hand. "Der two midget ice-wielders, trainin' together."</p><p>Rukia and Hitsugaya shot him identical disapproving frowns. His grin widened. "Wouldya look at that," he laughed.</p><p>Even Ukitake chuckled.</p><p>"What's with the gifts anyway?" Hirako asked, jerking his chin towards the bag he had just given her.</p><p>Rukia looked down at it. "Christmas presents, I think," she said, unwilling to open it right then.</p><p>"Christmas?" Ukitake asked her.</p><p>She nodded. "Inoue-san really sold me on the whole thing. We were going to celebrate last month." She was careful not to say anything about her assignments being cancelled but it hung in the air. Hirako seemed the most curious, knowing Rukia couldn't leave but not knowing why. Ukitake was looking at her sympathetically. Hitsugaya was frowning.</p><p>Truthfully, she had been really looking forward to it. Based on how Orihime had described it, the lights, the snow, the sweets, Rukia had very much wanted to see it all. Orihime had even gone so far as to get a Christmas tree for her apartment so they could decorate it.</p><p>Ukitake patted her comfortably on her shoulder before turning to Hitsugaya. "I should get going now,' he said. "Let me borrow Rukia for a moment, ne Shiro-chan?"</p><p>He nodded and Ukitake led her outside. As the door closed behind them, she distinctly heard Hirako snicker, "<em>Shiro-chan</em>?"</p><p>"How have you been, Rukia?" Ukitake asked as they walked.</p><p>"I've been fine," she assured him. "Better than fine. Captain Hitsugaya has taken over my training. Even Shirayuki has no complaints."</p><p>"I suspected he might do that," Ukitake told her, nodding. "That's good. So you haven't lost any valuable time."</p><p>"How are you, captain?" Rukia asked him. "How is the Thirteenth? It's already been so long."</p><p>"You don't need to worry about us," Ukitake told her. "In a few weeks, you'll be right where you need to be in the squad. Just focus on this for now, okay?"</p><p>She nodded. "Captain Ukitake?" she began uncertainly.</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"Did you…did you never fill the lieutenant's position because of me?"</p><p>If Rukia didn't know her captain as well as she did, and if Ukitake wasn't the man that he was, she wouldn't dare ask this question. But Ukitake just smiled at her.</p><p>"Did Byakuya tell you that?" he inquired.</p><p>She shook her head. "Captain Hitsugaya let it slip actually."</p><p>"That blabbermouth Shiro-chan," he sighed dramatically. They came to the Tenth Division entrance and he stopped and turned to face her. "With the work you and Kiyone and Sentaro do, the Thirteenth Division never needed to fill the position with anyone else. Do you understand?"</p><p>Smiling, Rukia nodded. "Thank you, Captain,' she said sincerely.</p><p>He waved her off. "You should go back," he told her, "Before Captain Hirako gives Captain Hitsugaya a reasonable reason to kill him."</p><p>Rukia laughed but bid her captain goodbye and took off. When she returned, however, Captain Hirako was gone, and only Hitsugaya remained with a distinctive shadow over his face. As unobtrusive as she could, she began to make her way over what she had come to call her corner of the office.</p><p>"Where do you think you're going?"</p><p>Surprised, Rukia just pointed at her corner. Hitsugaya shook his head and got to his feet.</p><p>"Not today," he said. "I remember telling you we'll have to make up yesterday's lost time today, especially now that you'll be taking the lieutenant's exam."</p><p>"Oh." Rukia watched as he secured Hyorinmaru to his back and then led her out of the office. Surprisingly, he didn't head towards the training grounds, instead leading her completely out of the Tenth Division. Hitsugaya saw her expression and gave a tiny smirk. So it seemed he could still surprise her after all.</p><hr/><p> </p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6: Rukia puts her training to the test; Hitsugaya finds something new to fight for</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  <em>She couldn't help but grin at him. This was clearly her Hitsugaya.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Rukia had been late because she had had a hard time falling asleep the night before. After the captain had dropped her off she had gone inside and begun the process of meticulously removing herself from the yukata, carefully folding the material and putting it away, and then getting ready for bed. She had focused her attention on the tasks at hand and it was only when she had been lying in bed that her mind had been flooded with thoughts.</p><p>She was going to be a lieutenant.</p><p>Well, she was going to try.</p><p>Rukia wasn't so modest that she completely doubted herself. She <em>knew</em> she had worked hard, she <em>knew</em> she had gotten stronger. She had objectively compared herself to the other lieutenants and could gauge where she stood with them. In terms of strength and power, she didn't quite come up to someone like Renji who had already achieved bankai, but Rukia could still hold her own against him anyway. She figured she was level with lieutenants like Hinamori and Nanao, which was not bad company to be in. Her fears more rested in the idea that what she thought was good enough was not actually what was good enough, and that she had somehow overestimated herself.</p><p>Another thing on her mind was Captain Hitsugaya.</p><p>Rukia often thought about the captain, but she had previously put this down to the fact that they were spending so much time together and he was pretty much her only extensive social interaction for the past few weeks. After last night, though, she had come to the realization that something was not quite what she thought it was.</p><p>When he had offered his hand, she had honestly just taken it automatically. When his fingers had wrapped around hers, though, something in her chest had jolted. It felt like her heart had stuttered. Something about the way he had secured his hold, comfortably, reassuringly, had greatly pleased her. She knew it was unlikely that he had had such intentions and that it was just a simple action on his part, but Rukia couldn't hide from herself that she had wanted it to be so.</p><p>It had left her feeling shy and overly self-conscious.</p><p>When he had asked if she would allow him to carry her, she had looked over at him and her first thought had been that he looked <em>good</em>, a thought that thoroughly panicked her. For transparency's sake, Rukia had thought the captain good-looking before, and had even gone so far as to say he was handsome, but this had been in a purely observational, matter-of-fact way. Last night it had been less that he looked good and more that he looked good to <em>her</em>. Rukia's heart had done another stutter thing. Then she had to consider his proposition.</p><p>On the one hand, the thought of being close to him greatly appealed to her (another heart stutter) but on the other hand, she felt like she would be putting herself in a position ripe with opportunities to make a fool of herself. What if she smelt bad? What if she was too heavy? What if her merely agreeing would make him think poorly of her? In the end, Rukia had to make herself back into a person without such thoughts, a normal person who wasn't evidently attracted to Captain Hitsugaya, and make her decision. Practically, it would be best if he carried her.</p><p>Rukia had both enjoyed and regretted her decision. She was close enough to him that she could feel the way his chest moved when he breathed (heart stutter) and see how his throat bobbed as he swallowed (heart stutter). Hitsugaya smelt like the thin layer of sweat he had accumulated from sitting in his office all day and the dry parchment paper and ink he handled most often, and each inhale made her heart stutter. She could also feel the brush of his hair against her hands where they were clasped behind his head at the base of his neck and noticed for the first time that his long, thin eyelashes were just as white as his hair—heart stutter and heart stutter.</p><p>Unfortunately, this arrangement had not been good for Rukia's heart and it made her wonder if she should have said no and remained ignorant of these things.</p><p>And yet whenever she thought about it she absolutely couldn't help the abashed smile that made its way onto her face. She had hidden that smile in her pillow and relived the moments until she had fallen asleep from exhaustion.</p><p>As Rukia followed behind Hitsugaya to wherever he was leading her, her eyes never straying from his back, she became aware that the erratic pounding of her heart had nothing to do with the exercise of shunpo. She couldn't help but think back to last night, the mere thought of which had her face flushing unnecessarily, making her whole face rosy by the time they arrived at their destination.</p><p>Hitsugaya had taken Rukia to a desolate outer Rukongai district. Here there were no souls or houses, only a standing forest from within which Rukia could feel the pulsing dark energy of hollows. She gave Hitsugaya a questioning look.</p><p>"The barrier between Hueco Mundo and Soul Society is very weak here," he explained. "Hollows therefore often congregate within these woods. There's bound to be a few hiding out here at any given time."</p><p>"So…this is a fieldtrip?"</p><p>Hitsugaya smiled. Rukia looked away.</p><p>"Over the past few weeks I've calculated what your kill per minute is."</p><p>Rukia swung her head back to look at him. His smile widened. "Yes, did you think my timing you was without reason?"</p><p>"I thought you wanted to torture me," she said honestly.</p><p>"That too," he said carelessly and Rukia felt her chest tighten, as if there were warm bubbles being pumped into it.</p><p>"I won't tell you what it is because your aim today is not to beat it and I don't want you focusing on that," he said. "This stretch of forest goes on for about two miles. The minute you step foot inside, the hollows there will immediately begin to attack you. I want you to make it through to the other side, killing as many as you can. I'll be following behind you to keep score and to be there just in case."</p><p>Rukia frowned. "What's to stop the hollows from going after you instead of me?"</p><p>Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at her. "I believe the head captain told you that you should always have one of Kurotsuchi's suppressants on you?"</p><p>Immediately understanding, Rukia withdrew the piece of red paper Nemu had delivered to her so long ago. Hitsugaya leaned over and took it from her, being none too careful about how his fingers touched her hand and somehow restricting her ability to breathe properly.</p><p>He rolled up the sleeve of his shihakusho and placed the suppressant on the inside of his wrist. Rukia tried not to be too distracted by his exposed skin.</p><p>"It's supposed to go on your head," she said absentmindedly.</p><p>"This will do," he said resolutely, looking not at all pleased at the idea of sticking the bright red thing on his head.</p><p>Rukia felt Hitsugaya's reiatsu recede and the air around her became noticeably warmer and drier. It didn't completely disappear but dropped to a level so miniscule that no hollow would choose him over her.</p><p>Hitsugaya fixed her with a look so amiable Rukia had to force herself to look away, pretending she was scoping out the trees in front of her.</p><p>"If it gets to be too much for you, you just need to call for me," he told her. "You might not be able to feel me all the time but I'll always be close to you."</p><p>Rukia could do no more than nod.</p><p>"Alright," he said. "Are you ready?"</p><p>She turned to face the trees, drawing her zanpakuto. The blade glinted promisingly in the early morning sun and Rukia pushed all other thoughts but what she was supposed to do out of her mind. She glanced over at the captain, who was steadily watching her, and nodded.</p><p>She was ready.</p><hr/><p>Hitsugaya looked down at Rukia and couldn't help his smile. Those swings of her sword, that stance—he had taught her that.</p><p>As he had predicted, she had been swarmed by hollows the minute her little foot had crossed the threshold of trees. She had made easy work of those small-fry and preceded inward. Rukia didn't seem too eager to get through the forest. She was taking her time, making sure to get to every hollow that she could see, even though there were quite a few she could just easily outrun. Hitsugaya had meant what he said when he decided not to tell her what her kill per minute was but it seemed she had taken it to heart regardless.</p><p>He followed behind her, moving from tree branch to tree branch, silently keeping count. It had only been about eight minutes, they weren't even at the middle point yet, and Rukia had already taken care of twenty-five hollows—granted, most couldn't be considered dangerous opponents, but there were a few more powerful ones in the bunch. And she had done all of this with an unsealed zanpakuto.</p><p>For the first time since Hinamori had been made a lieutenant, Hitsugaya felt pride that had nothing to do with his own accomplishments.</p><p>At some point, deeper into the forest where the hollows could no longer be taken lightly, she had released Shirayuki and Hitsugaya had felt the relaxingly cool reiatsu brush against his skin. It was strange, having always been surrounded by his own reiatsu, he had forgotten what it felt like to feel a cool breeze until he had stood within range of Rukia's reiatsu.</p><p>She was powerful enough to draw frost over the ground and even a few surrounding trees from her release alone. Of course, the trade-off here was that this attracted more hollows.</p><p>Hitsugaya believed in Rukia and her abilities and hadn't been concerned up until this point. But watching the horde of hollows descend on her made something pull incredibly tight and taut inside him. As he stood on a high branch, looking down at her, he felt his stomach drop.</p><p>It was strange, he thought, that the way he felt about the girl could only be compared to the way he felt about Hinamori, but it wasn't exactly the same. Before really getting to know her, Hitsugaya had regarded Rukia as a normal but rather unfortunate Shinigami, what with what had happened with Kurosaki and then the Hogyoku. Spending some time in the human world, he had come to learn a little about her personality, which at the time he had merely thought was perhaps something one wouldn't expect of a so-called noble and then moved on. Getting to know her these past few weeks, he had come to realize that she was quite a bit more than just that.</p><p>He felt protective of Hinamori because she had always been that kind of person he felt was very easily taken advantage of. It had nothing to do with strength, he <em>knew</em> Hinamori was strong. But she had never had to learn to be cautious of anyone, was always readily trusting and chose to always see the best in everyone. Aizen had been a rude awakening for her and though Hitsugaya would give a limb if it meant she didn't have to suffer the way she had by his betrayal, he was somewhat grateful that at least she now knew better, and she could grow from the experience.</p><p>Hitsugaya didn't have to worry about these things when it came to Rukia. In addition to being strong herself, he knew her life experiences had done well for her in the end and she could handle herself in any situation. But yet despite this, Hitsugaya couldn't help but still feel like he had to protect her. It was a weird contradiction because as much as he firmly believed in her and what she was capable of, he couldn't help but think she still found herself in trouble more often than not, had been hurt numerous times in the past, and despite the many powerful people around her, her life had somehow ended up hanging precariously in the balance.</p><p>At first, he had thought he pitied her, but pity couldn't be this strong and Rukia wasn't a person who embodied pity anyway. It had taken him a while to realize that he had grown very fond of the girl, so much so in fact that he cared about what happened to her, he worried about her, and he would miss her if she was gone from his life. Hitsugaya wasn't a person who gave much thought to his relationships with other people. It was all black and white in his eyes. But for the first time, he found himself desiring to put effort into maintaining the relationship he had with Rukia. It was a thought that kept him up at night. She was an asset to his life simply by just being in it.</p><p>She was stubborn and fiercely determined. She was respectful and kind, and was honest and open about how she treated people. She had good sense and knew when to hold her tongue and when to speak out. She was loyal and forgiving to a fault but managed to be this way while also avoiding being taken advantage of. She was always mindful of herself and considerate of others. Occasionally, she could be childish, but this part of herself she seemed determined to keep hidden. Hitsugaya had only seen glimpses of it under Matsumoto's profuse affection and attention.</p><p>She was also somewhat awkward and closed-off, presenting a very rigid and artificial version of herself at first—if he hadn't seen for himself how she treated Kurosaki and Abarai, he might have never known otherwise. She had been very cautious how she interacted with him and even when she had relaxed and become more open, she had never seriously toed the line between them. Usually, this was how Hitsugaya preferred to be treated, but he couldn't help but think that, for all the time they spent together, she should be treating him more familiarly by now, and it greatly bothered him.</p><p>Looking at her small back as she weaved through the trees and hollows, Hitsugaya thought it would be nice if she could look at him the way she looked at Kurosaki and Abarai.</p><p>Down below, Rukia was growing tired but she was still pushing through. She hadn't sustained any serious injuries, just some cuts and scrapes, but by now she was covered in sweat and fatigue. But Hitsugaya knew this was also a test of determination and Shinigami often had to find extra strength and power amidst battles after they had been fighting for a long time.</p><p>He would not and could not interfere prematurely, even if every time a hollow snuck up on her from behind and it seemed like she wouldn't notice in time, his heart constricted. He had told her to call him if she needed him but he knew she wouldn't do that even if she should. So Hitsugaya could do little more than stay back and bear it, though he absolutely would step in if he had to, whether she thought to call for him or not.</p><p>Rukia continued to cut down hollows like her life depended on it. She spared not a single one, clearing a clean path to the exit. It was only a small forest and Hitsugaya was sure she had completely eradicated it of hollows. She was almost at the end when Hitsugaya felt a change in the air. From the way Rukia jerked to a stop, he knew she had felt it too. It only took Hitsugaya a moment to recognize the new presence and he couldn't help the sharp spike in his reiatsu, noticeable even with the suppressor.</p><p>It was unlikely that Rukia could still feel his suppressed reiatsu with the distance between them so despite knowing he was nearby, she likely had no idea where he actually was.</p><p>She had been vigilantly surveying the area, all senses on high alert, but when she felt his reiatsu flare, she couldn't help but swing around to look up at him.</p><p>At the same time, a sharp white claw came down on her, completely shredding the material of her shihakusho. The hollow made its signature sound, a sharp, high-pitched screech that sent the birds in the trees scattering. Rukia was too surprised to even make a sound, unable to stop herself from pitching forward.</p><p>Hitsugaya didn't even think. His body was moving before he even realized and he dropped from the tree, Hyorinmaru already in his hands. Screecher stood between him and Rukia. The girl was alive but winded and struggling to get to her feet.</p><p>Screecher turned its attention to him and swung its arm forward, catching his blade at an angle that pushed him back a few feet. Screecher's claws retracted and Hitsugaya leapt into the air, bringing his zanpakuto down on the hollow's head.</p><p>But Screecher was much faster than he had been before, and nimbly dodged, skittering to the side. Hitsugaya pursued him, relentless attacking with his sword and directing him away from where Rukia was.</p><p>The trees here were too densely packed for him to swing his zanpakuto normally and Screecher just kept dodging his blows. The hollow made a sharp turn, catching the trunk of a tree with his claws and leaping over Hitsugaya's head. It landed behind him and then took off, heading straight for the injured girl.</p><p>Hitsugaya swore and ran after it.</p><p>Rukia was leaning heavily against a tree, staining the wood with blood. Hitsugaya wished she would run but it was clear by the way her eyes locked on the hollow approaching her and the tight grip with which she held her zanpakuto that she had no such thoughts. Screecher headed straight for her, weaving through the trees like a ghost.</p><p>Hitsugaya tried to direct his reiatsu to freeze it, but the damn suppressor wouldn't let him and he couldn't let go of Hyorinmaru to peel it off his wrist—he was now sorely regretting not putting it on his forehead. Screecher was a leap away from Rukia, Hitsugaya bearing down on the hollow. It raised its arm, sharp claws poised to cut through the tiny Shinigami in front of it. Rukia didn't flinch, pushing herself off the tree and directly into its path. Hitsugaya swung his sword forward.</p><p>Having no choice, he began, "Sōten ni zase—"</p><p>Several things happened all at once.</p><p>A blanket of snow and ice wrapped around Screecher's feet, causing the hollow to trip and plough into the ground, but it didn't come from Hitsugaya. Rukia's reiatsu wasn't as powerful or as overwhelming as Hitsugaya's but it did the trick. Without a second's hesitation, she drove her blade through the hollow's mask and head. At the same time, Hitsugaya stumbled out of his shunpo and crumpled to the ground. The second he had uttered those words he could feel himself being pulled away and he had a brief moment of incredulity. After having tried for <em>weeks</em> to meditate and fight his way into his inner world by trying to release Hyorinmaru, it was only <em>now</em> that it worked. Hyorinmaru seemed equally as reluctant, his attention on the little Shinigami ahead of them and the small pool of blood that had gathered under her feet.</p><hr/><p>Rukia had to drive Shirayuki into the ground to keep standing. Her side where the hollow had clawed at her felt like it was on fire, and was slick with blood. It occurred to her that Screecher's claws might have been more than just sharp, as her vision had begun to blur.</p><p>She took a moment to gather some strength and in a burst of stamina, she shunpo'd over to where Hitsugaya lay on the ground. She had already figured out what had happened but she didn't have the time to think about it. She had done a good job of clearing the immediate area of hollows but Hitsugaya had said that the barrier here was weak, so no doubt there would be more soon. She had to at least get him out of the forest. Fortunately, she had almost made it to the other side when Screecher had appeared.</p><p>Gritting her teeth against the dizzying pain and ignoring the protest of her body, she quickly dragged the young captain up from under his arms and hoisted him over her uninjured side. Then she shunpo'd them both out of there.</p><p>She didn't stop until she just couldn't run anymore. The forest was far behind them when her knees hit the ground. Laying next to her, Hitsugaya's body was limp and unresponsive. Rukia gave him a once over, making sure he wasn't actually injured, and then looked around her but even at this distance, it seemed that no soul would be found around an area like this. She knew she would never make it back to Seireitei and she couldn't count on the captain waking up in time.</p><p>Feeling her consciousness slipping away with every second, her body in so much pain she could feel herself going into shock, Rukia quickly threw a protective barrier up around them. Then she crawled closer to the captain, unsteady hands peeling away his sleeve so she could get to the suppressant he still had on him. If she took it off then someone would notice his reiatsu, she was hoping. Even if the same thing happened again and he began to freeze the area around him, she was sure she could withstand it long enough for help to find them. There was nothing else she could do and her brain was too overwhelmed by pain to think further.</p><p>The small red paper was stark against his lightly tanned skin. If Rukia had a little more presence of mind, her heart might have done that stutter thing as she held his hand in hers, leaving bloody imprints of her fingers on his clean skin. As it were, her heart was busy trying to keep her alive. She immediately reached for the paper, fingers trembling.</p><p>The last thing that could have occurred to her right then was the experiment they were supposed to be doing. Rukia hadn't even thought about it. But the minute her fingers brushed the thin edge of the paper, it came back to her all at once, because there was that feeling of her bones being tugged forward. The pain disappeared almost immediately and her vision completely failed. Desperately, Rukia tried to fight it this time, but it was like something had buried itself into her soul and was dragging her forward. The incredulity of the situation finally hit her as she lost all feeling and plunged into the darkness.</p><hr/><p>At the Twelfth Division laboratories, Captain Kurotsuchi looked up at the time and clicked his tongue.</p><p>"Nemu!" he called for his lieutenant, unable to keep the irritation from his voice.</p><p>"Yes, sir?" she said timidly from where she stood, not two feet away. Kurotsuchi swung around to look at her, frowning.</p><p>"Is it not time to deliver the hollows to the Tenth Division?" he asked her, and in the same breath, mumbled, "My experiments are not toys for others to play with. That Captain Hitsugaya has some nerve to request as many as he has. I expect my generosity to be repaid fittingly when the time comes."</p><p>Nemu didn't show any particular reaction to this. She said, "Captain Hitsugaya has sent word that they will not be needed today."</p><p>Kurotsuchi stopped short, his mouth twisting in that way it did when he was unreasonably displeased. He sneered a little at the lieutenant and turned away.</p><p>"Has the reiatsu suppressant stock you gave away to that Kuchiki girl been replaced?"</p><p>"They have, sir."</p><p>"Let me see," he demanded impatiently.</p><p>Obediently, Nemu retrieved a small box and placed it in front of him. The captain lifted the lid, took a look inside and froze.</p><p>"Nemu," he said calmly.</p><p>"Yes?" the girl replied, her tone not indicating she thought something was wrong.</p><p>"Please tell me which suppressors are in this box," the captain requested, voice clearly edging on something sharp.</p><p>The clueless lieutenant leaned forward. In the box was a neat stack of small red squares of paper. Kurotsuchi pointed one of his deathly pale, enamelled fingers at the tiny, almost unnoticeable inscription at the bottom edge of the topmost sheet.</p><p>"What does that say?" he asked levelly.</p><p>"Reiatsu suppressor special prototype," Nemu read.</p><p>"Yes, yes," Kurotsuchi mocked her. "Am I to believe that this means that what you gave that Kuchiki girl were these?"</p><p>Nemu leaned back on her feet, her hands clasped before her. She bowed her head. "My apologies, Captain Kurotsuchi."</p><p>"You imbecile!" he seethed, his reiatsu flaring enough to knock the box off the table. The red papers scattered like dropped wine on the floor. He turned on his heel and marched out of the lab.</p><p>"Come!" he ordered sharply. "We must find Captain Hitsugaya right away!"</p><hr/><p>When she could see again, Rukia was looking at an all too familiar wintry valley. It looked exactly as it had last time, a frozen over lake with sharp and imposing icy mountains all around. Rukia was standing on the same snowy hill she had been on before but there was no storm this time, though the sky ahead was still covered by dark grey clouds.</p><p>As she stood there collecting herself, three heads turned in her direction.</p><p>The two Hitsugayas were standing on opposite sides of the valley. Rukia could tell that they hadn't started anything yet by their pristine appearances. The one closest to her mouthed her name, a little shock and a lot of relief in his expression. She couldn't help but grin at him. This was clearly her Hitsugaya. The other one only looked at her blankly.</p><p>Hyorinmaru was standing nearby to her Hitsugaya. His face was a little harder to read but he definitely didn't look displeased to see her.</p><p>"Rukia!" her Hitsugaya called up to her.</p><p>She gave him a wave of assurance. "I'm fine," she said, lowering herself to sit. "Don't mind me."</p><p>Truthfully, she was maybe not fine. She didn't feel as present here as she had the last time, but she knew there was nothing that could be done. She would have to wait for Hitsugaya to finish his fight before she could leave, and knowing that time flowed differently here than in reality, she could only hope it would only be a short time before she returned.</p><p>Her Hitsugaya frowned but turned his attention back to the valley. From where she sat, she could see them talking but couldn't hear.</p><p>"This is not a battle to take lightly," Hyorinmaru was saying to his wielder. "Your opponent has access to things you do not yet possess. It may seem like you are fighting on the same level but remember that he has nothing to lose. You will be guided only by your own strength. I will not be able to help you."</p><p>"I got it," Hitsugaya said, his face serious, eyes sharpening on the mirror image of himself that was waiting patiently.</p><p>Hyorinmaru considered him for a moment. "That girl," he said at length, "has been seriously injured."</p><p>Hitsugaya snapped his eyes to him and frowned. He had suspected that, of course, and he hadn't forgotten. There was more at stake here now, though in actuality, Rukia could have very well died the first time, too, slowly freezing to death in that hospital room as she waited for him to finish. But back then, there had been people looking after her on the outside. The circumstances this time were alarmingly graver. He glanced up at the girl, who was looking at them curiously.</p><p>"The longer she stays here, the more I suspect she bleeds out on the surface," Hyorinmaru went on, his normally matter-of-fact voice coated in a novel mixture of gravity and urgency. "You are also fighting for her life."</p><p>Hitsugaya could see himself reflected in Hyorinmaru's placid eyes. "I understand," he said quietly.</p><p>His zanpakuto spirit gave him a brisk nod and disappeared, reappearing next to Rukia. It was like the dragon was standing guard over the girl and Hitsugaya could only be assured leaving her to Hyorinmaru. He gave them one last look and then turned back to his opponent.</p><p>The pseudo version of himself was looking at him calmly. The first time they had fought, his opponent had been the one to make the first move. This time, Hitsugaya couldn't afford to wait. With a quick flash step, he crossed the icy lake between them, swinging his sword forward. His opponent reacted exactly like Hitsugaya would, blocking his attack with a swift parry.</p><p>Looking into his own eyes was a surreal experience and he wondered if his own gaze always looked this cold and detached. His opponent pushed him away, coming in with a swing of his own. Hitsugaya dodged, the missed hit striking the ice with a loud crack, sending shards flying in every direction. The first time, it had taken them less than an hour to completely obliterate the ice over the lake. Hitsugaya couldn't be certain what it would mean when there was no longer any ice to stand on, but he thought it could only count as a loss.</p><p>The first round of attacks took them into the centre of the lake. The valley was filled with the sounds of a sword fight, clanking metal and ice breaking. Hitsugaya was much more prepared with his attacks this time. Unfortunately, his opponent was himself, so there was nothing of his fighting style and strategy that the other Hitsugaya didn't know or couldn't predict. It had been like this the first time, too, and in the end, every blow he had landed had been given back to him, leaving them both bloodied and injured. Occasionally catching sight of Rukia's dark head as he moved, Hitsugaya knew he couldn't do the same this time.</p><p>But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get the upper hand. Half of his mind was on what was happening back in the real world—where they were and what Rukia's condition actually was—and the urgency of the situation. Her presence in his inner world felt very faint.</p><p>His opponent seemed to be taking advantage of his distraction and Hitsugaya would see his eyes flicker over to where the girl sat as often as his did. It was all Hitsugaya could do to keep the other's attacks at bay. That is until he was a second too late in his defence.</p><p>The blade nicked his own and slid into his chest, just above his ribcage. His hand managed to catch the hilt early, stopping it from going any further. He bit back the grunt of pain and swiped with his own sword but the other man retreated quickly and Hitsugaya caught only the cold air he left behind.</p><p>From here it all seemed to go downhill. His opponent didn't give him a chance and seemed more intent than ever to defeat him. Hitsugaya was a little thrown by this change in attitude. The other man bore down on him, relentlessly attacking him with no reprieve. Hitsugaya struggled to get his own attacks in and before long he was riddled with wounds and injuries. By comparison, his opponent was almost unscathed.</p><p>At some point, the other Hitsugaya caught his leg with the edge of his sword, bringing him to his knees on the ice. Without hesitation, the other man aimed his blade for his neck. Hitsugaya barely caught it with the hilt of his sword, unable to hide the incredulity in his expression.</p><p>"Are you trying to kill me?" he asked the other man and watched as his eyes took on another layer of frost. He didn't reply—Hitsugaya had never heard him speak—and leapt back, quickly aiming another blow at his head.</p><hr/><p>From where she sat, Rukia could plainly see that her Hitsugaya was not winning. Though she hadn't paid very close attention the first time, she could still tell that his opponent, whom she had decided to call Hitsugaya#2 to prevent confusion, was far more hostile than he had been before, and seemed more intent to kill the other man than anything else.</p><p>As her Hitsugaya struggled to his feet, she couldn't help but look up at Hyorinmaru worriedly.</p><p>At the start of the fight, Hyorinmaru had greeted her very respectfully, calling her<em> Little Lady Kuchiki</em>. It had tickled her insides in a way she couldn't explain. He had asked her to watch quietly and keep her reiatsu low so any spikes from her reactions wouldn't be felt by the two below them. Rukia had agreed readily, though she didn't tell him that her spirit pressure being so low wasn't really a conscious effort at this point.</p><p>The dragon had kept quiet since then, unmoving next to her, but looking down at the fight with a barely noticeably furrowed brow.</p><p>She felt like she shouldn't disturb him but couldn't help quietly calling his name. The man looked down at her. Rukia couldn't know but even for a spirit of a spirit, she looked very pale. The frown between Hyorinmaru's guarded eyes became more pronounced.</p><p>"What is it?" he asked.</p><p>"Captain Hitsugaya," she began uncertainly, redirecting her gaze back to the fight below. "What happens if he doesn't pass?"</p><p>"Do you not think he will?" he asked instead, sharp eyes looking carefully at her face.</p><p>"Of course I don't think that," she said immediately, and it was true, even if her stomach felt like it dropped completely out of her abdomen every time Hitsugaya sustained an injury. "But there must be some consequence for failing, right? I'm just wondering what it is."</p><p>The man considered her for a moment. "There are consequences," he said after a while. "But they are consequences only my master would know."</p><p>Rukia blinked up at him. "Are you worried he won't win?" she asked plainly.</p><p>"I am not," Hyorinmaru replied calmly, looking down at his master, who had just created a deep gash across his opponent's chest but was struggling to evade the other's attacks. "Because he <em>will</em> win."</p><p>"Then," Rukia caught his eyes and said slowly, "What are you afraid of?"</p><p>For the longest time, Hyorinmaru didn't answer. Down below them, the ice was being broken away by the strength of the two over it. Her Hitsugaya looked worse than he had the first time, while Hitsugaya#2, while not uninjured, was in far better shape. Despite this, Rukia hadn't given up hope. She remembered what he had told her once, and decided that being worried was okay, but having doubts was unacceptable. There was no one she believed in more than Captain Hitsugaya in that moment.</p><p>"Little Lady Kuchiki," Hyorinmaru said next to her, catching her by surprise. The man wasn't looking at her. Right now, his eyes only had room for his master. "Why do you wield your sword?" he asked her.</p><p>Sode no Shirayuki wasn't with her in this world but Rukia couldn't help the familiar motion of her hand passing over the hilt that usually rested at her hip. She considered her answer thoughtfully. She had fought for many things in her life: her place in the world, recognition, to protect herself. But the times she had really fought with her heart on the line had been for only one reason.</p><p>"To protect the things I love," she said.</p><p>If Rukia wasn't looking at him, she would have missed the slight curve of Hyorinmaru's mouth, which startled her in its inconceivable-ness and by how similar it was to Hitsugaya's.</p><p>"You and my master have that in common," the dragon told her.</p><p>Rukia's heart missed a beat. "And you," she said softly.</p><p>Hyorinmaru's blue eyes flickered over to her. They had always been unreadable, almost empty, but for the first time, she could see clearly what was in there.</p><p>"Yes. In this life, there is only one thing I want to protect."</p><p>She couldn't hold his gaze, looking away. Hyorinmaru said nothing more. Down below was a familiar scene.</p><p>Her Hitsugaya was kneeling on the ice, his arms raised, sword blocking the blade that was bearing down on him. Rukia could see the tension in his arms as clearly as she could see the way Hitsugaya#2's sword was slowly inching forward.</p><p>"How did you know," Hyorinmaru's voice came from beside her. "Which one was my master the first time?"</p><p>Now it was Rukia's turn to remain silent, watching the scene below her intently. The sound of metal sliding against metal suddenly broke the still silence in the air. Her Hitsugaya released the tension between them, ducking under the blades and catching his opponent's knee with a swift and powerful kick.</p><p>Rukia smiled. "That," she pointed unnecessarily, not at all noticing the way her arm seemed to shimmer in transparency. "The first time, even when he knew he was going to be defeated, he had that look on his face."</p><hr/><p>Hitsugaya had got to his feet, looking down at his fallen opponent. "You keep looking at her," he said. "Why? What do you want with her?"</p><p>He didn't expect the other man to answer, already preparing to swing his sword forward. But the other him <em>did</em> speak, his voice and tone eerily identical to Hitsugaya's.</p><p>"You keep looking at her too," he said, manoeuvring to his feet agilely.</p><p>Hitsugaya frowned, catching the other's quick attack. Over the crisscross of their blades, his steely blue eyes looked back at him. "I am you, Captain," he told him softly. "I can only want what you want."</p><p>Unhesitatingly, his opponent withdrew just far enough to redirect his blade to the centre of Hitsugaya's chest. But the captain dodged, momentarily oblivious to all of his pain and injuries. His eyes had sharpened at the statement and he found himself filled with renewed determination. His eyes passed briefly over Rukia's dark form above. Her spirit pressure had been steadily growing fainter. Hitsugaya didn't need to be a genius to figure out what that meant.</p><p>"You want to defeat me so Rukia can leave," he surmised. "You want to save her."</p><p>His opponent didn't answer but frowned. He, too, looked over at the girl. Hitsugaya guessed he knew about her diminishing spirit pressure just as he did.</p><p>Without warning, Hitsugaya drove his blade forward. It caught the other man in his abdomen, missing vital organs just by the other's quick reaction. Still, blood flowed forward and onto the ice, and Hitsugaya was exceptionally violent when he withdrew his sword, opening the wound even more.</p><p>The shock he saw reflected in the other's eyes was almost vilifying. But he didn't stay unmoving for long, countering with a brutish stab of his own. But Hitsugaya was expecting it, nimbly moving out of the way.</p><p>"You should know, when you defeated me the last time, I remained unconscious for several hours afterwards," he said, voice calm but hard. "Even if Rukia did wake up, at this point she wouldn't be able to do anything. And where we are, there's no one coming to help."</p><p>The other him paused at this. Hitsugaya didn't let it go to waste, coming in with another swipe of his sword. He missed this time but managed to push the other closer to the edge of where the ice had broken off.</p><p>"If you really want to help her, your only option is to stop this fight and release me."</p><p>He watched the other man frown, a clearly conflicted look crossing his face. "I want her to be saved," he said, voice pained. It was hard to see these emotions in the other man, because Hitsugaya had himself been trying to keep them buried during their fight. "But I can't stop. Once you're here, we have to finish this, one way or the other."</p><p>Hitsugaya had been expecting this. The other man came in for another attack and the power behind it was unexpectedly fierce, his face heavy with determination. Hitsugaya didn't even flinch. He blocked with his sword, which pushed him back a few feet. Before the other could retreat he reached up and grabbed his arm, pulling him violently forward, jerking him right off his feet so he was now the one kneeling on the ground.</p><p>Hitsugaya looked down at his own face. "That means I have no choice but to defeat you," he said quietly, and with astonishing swiftness, he slid his sword out from between their bodies, somehow managing not to slice a limb off, and drove it into the ice. He used as much strength as he could and the ice obligingly cracked, giving way under them. He watched the shock on the other man's face but unflinchingly leapt into the air, pulling his sword free and bringing it down on his opponent's shoulder, driving it deep into his torso.</p><p>The other man didn't have his feet beneath him to evade or escape the sinking ice. His body sunk unceremoniously, tinting the clear water with dark blood before he completely vanished. Hitsugaya didn't stick around, immediately shunpoing over to where Rukia was and stumbling in the snow at the sight of her cradled in Hyorinmaru's arms.</p><p>His zanpakuto spirit's face was exceptionally dark, and making an expression Hitsugaya had never known the dragon could make. The unmoving girl was thrust into his arms. Hitsugaya looked down at her pale face, startled by the way her features seemed to be flickering. Above them, the dark clouds had started to retreat, revealing the bright and colourful aurora borealis that usually occupied the sky.</p><p>"Leave!" Hyorinmaru ordered him shortly.</p><p>Hitsugaya didn't need to be told twice. Holding her close to his body, he closed his eyes and focused, allowing the snow around him to fade from his mind.</p><p>When he came to, he found himself looking up into the Rukongai sun. He was lying flat on his back, the ground beneath him hard and unforgiving. There was an unmoving weight lying across his chest and cold fingertips against his wrist.</p><p>Like he had been struck by a jolt of electricity, Histugaya sat up, taking care to wrap his arms around Rukia's body so as not to jostle her. Holding her head against his chest, his fingers found the torn material of her shihakusho at her side. He was somewhat surprised to find that the blood there had been frozen over, but as he took stock of his surroundings, he discovered that there was a kido barrier around them and the ground within the barrier had been covered in a layer of hoarfrost.</p><p>With a pounding heart, he examined the girl in his arms. She was still unconscious but alive. Like it was the most natural thing in the world, and overwhelmed by relief, he brushed his lips against her forehead, comforted by the warmth he felt there.</p><p>At the same time, he felt the sudden appearance of familiar reiatsu. He looked up to find Kurotsuchi, his lieutenant Nemu, and Matsumoto step down outside the barrier. Unabashed relief flooded Matsumoto's face.</p><p>"Captain!"</p><p>"Matsumoto," he addressed her, voice hoarse with urgency. "Rukia needs the Fourth—"</p><p>"Nemu, get rid of this," Kurotsuchi ordered his lieutenant, gesturing at the barrier. She took it down in no time, and came to kneel beside him. Matsumoto appeared on his other side, her worried eyes alternating between her captain and the unconscious girl he was holding. Hitsugaya tried to stand, wanting to immediately shunpo back to Seireitei. But both lieutenants placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back.</p><p>"If you leave like that, you'll drop her," Kurotsuchi informed him. "Nemu, deal with the girl. Captain Hitsugaya, where is my suppressor?" he asked, eyes carefully scrutinizing the other man's head.</p><p>Hitsugaya frowned, his arms instinctively tightening around Rukia when he felt her being pulled out of his hold. It was only through Matsumoto's gentle persuasion that he reluctantly let her go.</p><p>"The suppressor, Captain Hitsugaya," Kurotsuchi demanded impatiently.</p><p>Keeping one eye on Rukia as Nemu forced a pill between her teeth and began her healing, he rolled up his sleeve to reveal the piece of paper stuck to his wrist. His stomach dropped at the sight of bloody fingerprints on his skin.</p><p>Kurotsuchi's eyes seemed to darken, looking at Hitsugaya's wrist at then at the unconscious Shinigami. His expression became very resigned. He turned to Matsumoto.</p><p>"Who removed it the first time?" he asked her.</p><p>Matsumoto blinked in confusion for a moment, before recalling slowly, "Captain Unohana."</p><p>"And she was wearing gloves, I presume," the Twelfth Division captain mused. "Captain Hitsugaya, I suggest you remove that thing from your body and destroy it. Though if you and Kuchiki would like to repeat your experience for an experiment, you are more than welcome to keep it. You can consider it repayment for the hollows I have loaned you."</p><p>Hitsugaya ignored him but ripped the paper off himself, directing the resulting spike in his reiatsu to freeze the thing before crumpling the now fragile paper into dust.</p><p>"Is this thing the reason Rukia was pulled into my inner world, Kurotsuchi?" he asked darkly.</p><p>"Is that what happened?" Kurotsuchi replied with clinical interest. "I see. How unexpected. This will require more research. I will have to make arrangements at the laboratory, if she lives," his apathetic eyes passed over Rukia's body, "Though a dead body is useful in its own ways."</p><p>Hitsugaya only became aware of how his reiatsu flared by the way Matsumoto dug her fingers into his shoulder and how Nemu flinched away from him.</p><p>"How's Rukia," Matsumoto asked hastily, directing his attention back to the girl.</p><p>"I've healed what I can of her external wounds," the other lieutenant said emotionlessly, "However, it appears that the wounds were infected by some kind of poison. I'm afraid she will have to be taken to Captain Unohana immediately."</p><p>Hitsugaya succeeded in getting to his feet this time. Physically, he was fine, but his limbs seemed a bit unfamiliar to him and he stumbled. Matsumoto's hand grabbed onto him.</p><p>"Let me take her, Captain," she said quickly.</p><p>Hitsugaya frowned, clearly unwilling, but, not entirely trusting himself, he gave her a nod.</p><p>Kurotsuchi clicked his tongue. "Poison, eh? How interesting. Nemu, follow and collect a blood sample for me. Captain Hitsugaya, we will be speaking again." And with that, the strange captain disappeared.</p><p>Hitsugaya didn't spare him another thought. He watched with some anxiousness as Matsumoto gathered up the girl in her arms. His body protested somewhat as he shunpo'd and it was difficult to keep up with his lieutenant but he managed through sheer force of will, Nemu trailing unobtrusively behind. His eyes barely left Rukia's pale face.</p><p><em>Hang in there</em>, he thought uneasily.</p><p>Speaking for the first time since he had left his inner world, Hyorinmaru quietly echoed the sentiment.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>End of part two.</em>
</p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The new lieutenants are decided; everyone consequently gets drunk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Part 3: Co-operation</p><p>Chapter 7: The new lieutenants are decided; everyone consequently gets drunk</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Rukia had a strange thought right then. What if that belonged to her?</em>
</p><hr/><p>Despite the many responsibilities in his life, Kuchiki Byakuya was not a man who cared about much. He had started off caring greatly for his family and the Kuchiki clan but that veil had lifted upon meeting his wife when, for the first time, he found someone could challenge the ideals he had been taught from since he was a child. Now, it was only through obligation to his parents' memories and his grandfather's legacy that he maintained the Kuchiki clan to the best of his ability. As for the members of the clan itself, it could not be said that he cared for them in particular.</p><p>He cared for his squad, which he was directly responsible for and who were reflections of himself as captain, but did not care much for the Gotei 13 at large.</p><p>He cared for his lieutenant, but it would take nothing short of immortality to stop him from taking that fact to the grave.</p><p>The only thing Byakuya cared about, purely and without reservations, was Rukia.</p><p>Rukia who, despite his literal <em>years</em> of neglect, still admired, respected and loved him. Rukia who had never once complained, no matter how unfair or unjust the situation had been, who had never made things difficult for him, and who continued to forgive and understand him as he continued to make mistakes while trying to improve their relationship. It had taken a long while for Byakuya to really mean the word <em>sister</em> when he called her such, having spent the first years of their knowing each other under the impression that he had merely granted her the title as per Hisana's last wish. But now that that familial bond felt as real as it had ever been, Byakuya felt like it was wound into a tight coil in his heart, a very <em>raw</em> but pleasant feeling.</p><p>He got to the Fourth Division in a whirlwind of reiatsu and impatience. Isane, somewhat familiar with dealing with the Sixth Division captain, quickly impeded his path.</p><p>"She'll be <em>fine</em>, Captain Kuchiki," she said without preamble. "Captain Unohana is working on her now, the poison was frozen before it could do any real damage, it is imperative that we <em>do not</em> disturb her or we'll make things <em>far worse</em> than they need to be."</p><p>Thankfully, the Sixth Division captain seemed to hear her. He fixed her with his cold grey eyes.</p><p>"She was brought here unconscious," he stated, voice calm but tight.</p><p>Isane tried to take a page out of her captain's book and resisted shivering. "Yes, but from <em>blood loss</em>. Her wounds have already been healed. Like I said, Captain Unohana is working on her right now and she gave no indication that the situation was dire. If you wait a few moments, I'm sure she'll come out to update you soon."</p><p>There was a still moment between them wherein Isane dared not move. Then, without so much as a nod, the captain swept away from her, finding a corner of the waiting room to stand by himself.</p><p>This waiting room was rather crowded. There was Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, standing demurely to the side, not in anyone's way. And there was Lieutenant Matsumoto and Captain Hitsugaya. Byakuya wasn't too surprised to see them.</p><p>The younger captain was sitting, subjected to the buzzing about of several Fourth Division medics and Isane, who returned to him after dealing with Byakuya. Lieutenant Matsumoto was also hovering over him, looking a little wane and worse for wear.</p><p>The captain didn't appear to be too injured but Byakuya was pleased to see that he looked significantly annoyed. As if feeling his eyes on him, the younger captain looked up and Byakuya was uncommonly surprised to see the same fear and anxiousness reflected in the Tenth Division captain's shadowed gaze.</p><p>With an irritated wave of his hand, Hitsugaya stood and made his way over to Byakuya. The young man walked a little unsteadily and it took Byakuya a moment to realize why.</p><p>"Captain Kuchiki," Hitsugaya's voice barely hid his exhaustion.</p><p>"Are you the reason my sister is injured, Captain Hitsugaya," Byakuya asked straightforwardly.</p><p>To his credit, Hitsugaya didn't really react to this. He merely nodded. "More or less."</p><p>"I do not know the nature of the arrangement that you have with my sister, but if it puts her in danger like this—"</p><p>"It doesn't," Hitsugaya scowled, "At least, it wouldn't normally. This was an accident, Captain Kuchiki, one that I am still responsible for regardless. I would never willingly put Rukia in any situation she couldn't handle. And for the record, she still handled the situation beyond my expectations."</p><p>Byakuya considered the young man beside him. Off in the distance he was aware of Lieutenant Matsumoto's rather wary gaze as she observed them as she chatted quietly with Isane.</p><p>"Be that as it may, Rukia is about to sit the Lieutenant's exam, something I assume you do not need me to inform you of the importance it holds to my sister, and she cannot afford to be compromised—" he gave Hitsugaya a very pointed look, "—or <em>distracted</em>, regardless of your arrangement."</p><p>Hitsugaya remained silent for a moment and as Byakuya observed him, he thought he could see the barest droop in his shoulders.</p><p>"Rest assured, our arrangement is now over," Hitsugaya guaranteed him, tone calm. "Rukia is free to prepare for the lieutenant's exam as any other candidate would."</p><p>"Good. I will have someone collect her belongings from your division."</p><p>Hitsugaya's mouth pressed into a thin line but ultimately, he gave his fellow captain a brisk nod and returned to his seat.</p><p>Byakuya paid him no more mind, returning his focus to the door behind which Rukia lay, waiting for Unohana to appear and put the rest of his fears to rest.</p><hr/><p>Rukia was having a bad dream.</p><p>She was in Hitsugaya's inner world, surrounded by tall icy mountains. The storm was raging again but this time the ice and sleet pelted at her skin, leaving bruises in their wake. She could barely see and the snow around her feet seemed to be sucking her in. She tried to move forward, looking for the white-haired captain, calling his name until she couldn't even hear her own voice anymore.</p><p>Eventually, she could no longer move, and she felt herself sinking to her knees, her body cold and wet, slowly freezing. There was no Hitsugaya or Hyorinmaru here. There was only her, and she had no way of getting out.</p><hr/><p>Rukia came to slowly, her eyes too tired to even open. Somewhere near her there were people talking in soft murmuring voices.</p><p>"—<em>won't wake up in time—"</em></p><p>"—<em>Captain Kuchiki said there's no postponing it—"</em></p><p>"—<em>not according to Captain Hitsugaya—"</em></p><p>"—<em>there's no way Ukitake would let them—"</em></p><p>Those voices were familiar but Rukia couldn't put her finger on who they belonged to before she slipped into unconsciousness again.</p><hr/><p>The next week passed in a blur for Captain Hitsugaya. First he had to subject himself to tests run by the Fourth and Twelfth Divisions. Then Head Captain Yamamoto promptly scheduled a meeting between him and Kurotsuchi. <em>Then</em> he had to complete all the external duties he had missed while locked away in his division before the captains' meeting to vote on the lieutenant candidates. And, of course, he had to write reports on <em>all</em> of those things.</p><p>The captains' meeting came and went, and that blur of a week turned into a blur of a <em>month</em>.</p><p>It was funny, the weeks he had spent with Rukia were so vivid in his mind that he could recall every single day as its own individual span of time. The following month without her, he could barely remember a single day. All too soon, the day of the lieutenant's exam was here.</p><p>It should be noted, bar when he had first brought her there, that Hitsugaya hadn't gone to see Rukia since she'd been at the Fourth.</p><p>At first, he'd just been far too busy. Then he had felt something heavy and uncomfortable settle somewhere in the middle of his chest whenever he thought of her. His suddenly astute zanpakuto spirit had informed him that this feeling was guilt.</p><p>Fortunately for him, he still had Matsumoto to update him on her progress, which he didn't even bother to hide from his lieutenant how closely he followed. Rukia had had to be put into an induced coma. Despite this, her situation had been relatively stable. The problem was, Screecher's poison was of the type that there was no antidote for. The only treatment was to let it work its way out of her system, under the influence of kido that sped up the process. To spare Rukia the consequential pain, Unohana had put her into a deep sleep.</p><p>She woke up sometime in the afternoon of the day of the captains' meeting, a few hours too late to attend, not that Unohana or Byakuya would have let her, in her condition.</p><p>Matsumoto had quickly formed a small party to visit her but Hitsugaya had made up some excuse and refused to tag along. The way his lieutenant had twisted her mouth at this but ultimately left without saying anything felt like another brick had been cemented over his heart.</p><p>From then on, Rukia had returned to her division. From what Matsumoto told him, which she had heard from Renji, the girl had thrown herself into her training, desperate to make up for the loss in time and strength her convalescence had caused.</p><p>Matsumoto somewhat complained about this, since she, too, had grown close to and fond of the girl, and now Rukia barely left the training grounds and didn't even have the time to come out for a cup of sake with her.</p><p>The day of the lieutenant's exam, the other lieutenant's decided to camp out outside the exam room, so they could immediately know who would be joining their ranks. Hitsugaya didn't have the heart to deny Matsumoto going, even if this meant it left him with mountains and mountains of paperwork to get through alone.</p><p>So he found himself sitting in his quiet office, itchy, uncomfortable and perhaps maybe the littlest bit anxious, but pretending he was fine, though his eyes looked at the clock hanging on the office wall more than on the pages before him.</p><p>At the captains' meeting, some fuss had been made about Rukia not being there in person, mostly by the Eleventh Division candidates. This had been quickly shut down through the combined efforts of him, Byakuya, Ukitake and even Unohana, but Hitsugaya had wondered for a moment if this would affect how the other captains voted for her. It didn't, and Rukia ended up with the most amount of votes of any candidate there, while neither of the Eleventh Division's officers succeeding in receiving enough votes to take the exam. Hitsugaya knew Rukia would have at least three of the seven votes required to continue on: his, Ukitake's and Byakuya's. He suspected Kyoraku would vote for her, and possibly Unohana, but the rest were honestly up in the air. In the end, Rukia ended with ten votes, with not only Kyoraku and Unohana voting for her, but also Hirako, Kensei, Zaraki, Soi-Fong and Kurotsuchi, with Rukia being the only candidate Kurotsuchi voted for, surprisingly.</p><p>But while the voting had gone well for Rukia, it had gone poorly for Momo.</p><p>The only captains who truly knew how much Momo had recovered was him, Unohana and the Visored captains. She had five guaranteed votes, but the other captains seemed reluctant to give her a second chance. Soi-Fong adamantly refused to vote for her, Kurotsuchi openly admitted that he thought it was beneath him, and Zaraki couldn't recall who Momo even was. In the end, it had been Kyoraku who spoke up on her behalf and, agreeing with him, Ukitake had also voted, giving Momo the bare minimum of votes required.</p><p>The whole thing had taken its toll on her already somewhat fragile self-confidence. It had taken no small effort on his, Matsumoto's and her captain's parts to get her back into a frame of mind to actually sit the exam. But while she had been shaken, Hitsugaya had still been satisfied with her condition going into the exam, clocking the renewed determination in her eyes, her improved form and her overall health and mind-set.</p><p>He didn't know this of Rukia, and it bothered him.</p><p>Rukia had also suffered an unfortunate blow right before the exam, which had been entirely his fault, he knew. He knew all about her determination and goals but he couldn't be sure, despite being cleared by the Fourth, how the incident had affected her. And being too much of a coward in the past month to go look for her, he could only trust that Ukitake and Byakuya had gotten her up to speed once more.</p><p>No doubts but lots of worry.</p><p>Unable to take the waiting, Hitsugaya kicked away from his desk and thought to make himself some tea. He had already swung open the door to the tea cupboard before he remembered he had been long out of tea. He hadn't been able to buy more while he had been stuck in his office and he had then been too busy afterward. And he had learned the hard way that, while he could trust Matsumoto with his life and most things in it, he could not trust her with running errands that involved money, because she almost always ended up at a bar, clothing shop, or food stall. However, the door opened anyway and contrary to his expectations, his tea cupboard was actually <em>stocked</em> with tea. Not only were there the regular bags of the common cheap blends like he was accustomed with, there were also pretty glass canisters of what was clearly higher-end brands, and the cardboard-made boxes that held those awfully convenient tea bags from the human world.</p><p>For a moment, he just stood there and stared at them blankly. Then, the corner of his mouth jerked up a little. That little Shinigami had become insanely good at hiding her reiatsu.</p><p>But he (and Hyorinmaru) was a little disappointed to see that, among the boxes from the human world, the cherry blossom one he had been re-gifted from Ukitake was not among them.</p><p>Before he could even remember that his original intention was to make tea, he heard his office doors being rattled open.</p><p>It was Momo.</p><p>She looked exactly like she had just sat a lieutenant's exam and then immediately ran all the way to his office, banged up and dinged a bit, with bits of her loose hair singed off, her shihakusho torn in several places, sweaty and exhausted. But she gave him a brilliant smile.</p><p>"Shiro-chan! I passed!"</p><p>For the majority of his relationship with Momo, Hitsugaya had felt like he was her bratty younger brother that couldn't really understand his older sister but knew all too well that she was a cry-baby, soft, somewhat precocious but with rose-coloured irises. This had cultivated a rather exasperated, protective instinct in him that had only become more exaggerated when he became a part of the Gotei Thirteen. That feeling would probably never go away, but it was times like this that it lifted a little, and he could appreciate that, despite everything, Momo was a force to be reckoned with, even if the circumstances had to be somehow special.</p><p>In the driest voice he could manage, all he said was, "It's <em>Captain</em> Hitsugaya, Lieutenant Hinamori."</p><p>"Who <em>cares</em>?" Momo impatiently wiped the spilled hair away from her face, grinning all the while. "I get to be a lieutenant again! I get to be a part of my division again! I can go to those boring lieutenant's meetings I actually missed so much! People won't feel awkward calling me Hinamori-fukutaicho anymore, Shiro-chan."</p><p>By the time Momo got to this part, she was crying, clearly overwhelmed by all the emotions she had had to keep buried over the past few months. They were the fat, ugly kind of tears, the kind you had to grind your teeth together while your mouth gaped open and you struggled to force air through your stuffed nose.</p><p>Hitsugaya didn't say anything as he walked towards her. He only intended to pat her shoulder a little, since physical contact between them had always only involved casual flicks of the head or good-natured shoving and pushing, or the like. But Momo pressed her face into his shoulder, now that it was at a height she could actually comfortably rest it there, and began to try to get a hold of herself, though it seemed like she wanted to cry for a bit first.</p><p>Hitsugaya merely let her, patting her awkwardly on her back, which she was too overwhelmed to notice and subsequently tease him about.</p><p>He wasn't sure how long they stood like that but Hitsugaya's haori was well damp by the time he felt Matsumoto's reiatsu approaching. He thought nothing of this until Matsumoto actually stepped into the office and he lifted his head to see that she wasn't alone.</p><p>Rukia did not look as bad as Momo did. She, too, wore a torn shihakusho, and had several cuts and bruises herself (it struck Hitsugaya then that they had both skipped the <em>required</em> medical treatment offered immediately after the exam) but had noticeably less than Momo. She also looked tired, the delicate spider-web of veins under her eyes clearly visible, but triumphant, and proud, and <em>beaming</em>.</p><p>At least until she stepped out from behind Matsumoto and her eyes found his and he watched the smile, wide, with a pearly white incisor barely visibly pressing into her lower lip, slip off her face.</p><p>A completely new kind of panic seared through Hitsugaya then and his first instinct was to, immediately and without hesitation, push Momo away. Thankfully, he had enough control over himself to not do this, and Momo seemed to realize that there were other people in the room and she peeled herself away, turning to look.</p><p>"Sorry to interrupt," Matsumoto cleared her throat, for once sounding appropriately awkward. Then she noticed Momo's tear streaked face. "Aww, Momo, are you crying?"</p><p>"Sorry, Rangiku, Kuchiki-san," Momo apologized, voice watery. She wiped her cheeks, offering them a smile, and fanned her eyes to stop more tears from falling. "I'm just a little overwhelmed."</p><p>The look that had crossed Rukia's face had been mostly shock, but Hitsugaya had watched as she seemed to shake herself, and her expression then fell into something more sympathetic as she looked at the other girl.</p><p>"That's understandable, Lieutenant Hinamori," she said kindly. "And congratulations."</p><p>"You too, Kuchiki-san," Momo answered warmly, and then gave a wet giggle. "You're one of the few people who never stopped calling me Lieutenant Hinamori. Oh, I'm going to cry again, sorry."</p><p>The poor girl buried her face in her hands. Rukia looked a little alarmed, like she didn't know what to do, giving Hitsugaya a somewhat desperate look. He could only look back at her, with no brighter ideas than to offer Momo the other side of his haori to cry on.</p><p>Luckily for the both of them, they had the remarkable and affable Rangiku Matsumoto—at least this was what Matsumoto thought upon observing the little exchange between her captain and the little Kuchiki.</p><p>The strawberry blonde lieutenant quickly wrapped the weeping girl into a warm embrace and guided her to the sofa to calm her down.</p><p>Hitsugaya floated a little over to Rukia.</p><p>"I take it this means that you passed?" he asked.</p><p>Rukia, who had been watching the Matsumoto-Momo duo with some concern, snapped her attention to him.</p><p>If Hitsugaya hadn't been eyeing her so closely, he might have missed the weird way her face contorted for a fraction of a second as her eyes caught his.</p><p>"Yes," she said shortly, and then, like it was an afterthought, "I was the first one out."</p><p>"Kuchiki-san probably scored the highest of all of us," Momo piped up from the sofa, still a little teary. "I heard the invigilators talking about it."</p><p>"I'm sure we all did well," Rukia said modestly. "The scores don't really matter at this point."</p><p>"They matter in considerations for captaincy," Hitsugaya told her, "when that time comes around."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>There was something definitively nervous and uncertain about Rukia, something Hitsugaya had never seen in her before. Her eyes kept flickering to him and away, and her fingers were hanging onto the sleeves of her shihakusho, the combination of which made him want to take her hands in his and tell her to <em>focus</em>.</p><p>Focus on what, he didn't know.</p><p>"Well, we're very proud of the both of you," Matsumoto said, squeezing Momo's shoulder but looking over at Rukia. She flashed a bright grin. "I say we celebrate—"</p><p>"Of course you do," the captain mumbled.</p><p>"—tonight, by that bar on the outskirts of Seireitei. I'll get all the Lieutenants to be there."</p><p>"You say that like it hasn't already been planned," Hitsugaya deadpanned, knowing his lieutenant too well.</p><p>"Of course, you're invited too, Captain," she batted her long, curled eyelashes at him. "The captains are more than welcome to come." She looked back at Rukia. "Do you think you and Renji can get Captain Kuchiki to come? I've never seen that man drunk. I'm a little curious."</p><p>Rukia shook her head. "I'm not sure—"</p><p>"C'mon," Matsumoto pouted. "He must be really happy right now, I'm sure you can convince him to—"</p><p>"No, I'm not sure I can—well, that too, about my brother—but I don't think I can—"</p><p>"You're not going to come, Kuchiki-san?" Momo blinked her eyes at her. Hitsugaya was frowning at her, too.</p><p>Rukia looked between the three of them and Hitsugaya could see how her shoulders stiffened, like she was closing in on herself.</p><p>"What could you have to do that's so important you can't celebrate passing your lieutenant's exam?" he asked her straightforwardly.</p><p>Rukia's wandering eyes finally settled on his. "I had a visit to the human world scheduled for today. Head Captain Yamamoto arranged it so I can leave after the exam."</p><p>There was a sudden but absolute silence in the room. This conversation seemed to be happening between just Rukia and Hitsugaya right then, so neither Matsumoto nor Momo dared to say anything. Matsumoto looked between Rukia and her captain, a little sliver of concern in her eyes. Momo, though somewhat confused, could read the room enough to know to stay quiet.</p><p>The temperature dropped by a few severe degrees, something Hitsugaya didn't even notice until Rukia flinched away from him.</p><p>He reigned his reiatsu in and straightened his shoulders. "I see," he said shortly.</p><p>"That's too bad, Rukia," Matsumoto quickly interjected, trying to cheer the atmosphere back up. She nudged Momo.</p><p>"Yes!" the girl squeaked. "Really too bad, Kuchiki-san. We'd really miss you."</p><p>"Sorry," Rukia hastily apologized. She turned to Hitsugaya and bowed. "I came to tell you I passed and to thank you for all of your help. You said to only thank you after I passed, so—" She looked up at him through her eyelashes and Hitsugaya thought he had never seen her eyes appear so dark before. "Thank you," she said, sincere and effusive, but also somewhat timid.</p><p>Rukia straightened. "I should go. I still have to see my captain. Lieutenant Hinamori, congratulations again. Rangiku-san, I hope you have fun." And with that, she left, leaving not even an iota of her reiatsu behind for Hitsugaya to feel comforted by.</p><p>"You're Rangiku-san but I'm Lieutenant Hinamori."</p><p>"Didn't you just say how happy you were that she called you that?"</p><p>"That was then. I'm a little jealous now."</p><p>Hitsugaya turned to the two women on his couch. They were conversing with each other, but staring at him.</p><p>"You should go to the Fourth and get treated," he said flatly to Momo.</p><p>She made a face. "You know I don't like the Fourth," she said, and hurried on before he could insist, "Say, Shiro-chan, should I stop calling you Shiro-chan?"</p><p>Hitsugaya, who had begun to make his way back to his desk, stopped and looked at her. "Absolutely," he replied. "Why are you only realizing this now?"</p><p>"Being a captain isn't a good enough reason," she said thoughtfully. "But I think having a girlfriend is."</p><p>He scowled. "I do not have a—"</p><p>They both levelled their gazes at him.</p><p>Hitsugaya returned to his desk without another word.</p><hr/><p>Rukia, on the other hand, was immediately forced into going to the Fourth Division the minute her captain and her brother laid eyes on her. Truthfully, her condition wasn't too bad, but with her recent poisoning and the fact that she had had to throw herself immediately into rigorous training afterward, Ukitake and Byakuya didn't want to take too many chances.</p><p>It was as she sat in Unohana's examination room that she caught her breath for the first time.</p><p>She had known that Hitsugaya had won his match. She had stayed conscious long enough to see the captain's incredible revival and witness Hitsugaya #2 sink into the ice. She couldn't remember anything after that.</p><p>When she had woken up in the Fourth, she had been told, roughly, what had happened, with the poisoning and her coma and so on. But she still hadn't known what had happened between her and Hitsugaya. Apparently, there had been a meeting with Captain Kurotsuchi and the Head Captain, but she had missed that. In the few days she had spent recovering at the Fourth after waking up, while she had had a revolving door of visitors, she had waited for Captain Hitsugaya to come and see her.</p><p>That had not happened.</p><p>Matsumoto had told her that he was just too busy catching up with work he hadn't been able to do over the past few weeks and while Rukia understood this, she couldn't help but be upset by it.</p><p>Rukia waited for him to come, even if only to explain to her what had happened. Eventually, it was Captain Ukitake who told her about the suppressor, having received her copy of the official report while she'd been unconscious, and how it had been engineered by Kurotsuchi to be less sensitive to reiatsu, so it could be used for all levels and types, and it apparently couldn't tell the difference between hers and Captain Hitsugaya's and had somehow blended them together. Rukia was relieved that it wasn't something more serious, but she would have liked to hear all of this from Captain Hitsugaya himself. After all they had been through, it only seemed right.</p><p>After spending every day of several weeks in his company, Rukia greatly missed him. She missed hearing the scratch of his pen on paper as it lulled her to sleep in the early morning, missed the way he sighed irritably when he came across some mistake his subordinate had made in a report, missed the way the corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled. She missed their training together, his sharp but patient tongue, the way his eyes never left her when she was on the training grounds.</p><p>Unfortunately, even if Rukia wanted to go see the captain herself, she couldn't. There just wasn't any time. Her body had taken a beating by the poison and it was all she could do in the month that she had remaining to get back in shape before the exam. She ate, slept and breathed her training. It wasn't easy, or painless, or particularly pleasant, but at the end of it all, she had felt more assured of herself than ever when facing the exam.</p><p>At least it had all paid off.</p><p>Rukia had been the first to leave the room, only to be immediately engulfed by the small army of waiting lieutenants. They weren't all present, of course, but Renji had been there, and so had Matsumoto, who had squealed loudly right next to Rukia's ear when she had smilingly nodded to their most pressing question. Renji had all but thrown her up into the air, setting off a fierce battle between the lieutenants over seizing her like she was some kind of doll to give their congratulations.</p><p>During this spectacle, she had barely noticed Hinamori's presence as she exited the room, nor how that presence quickly dashed away.</p><p>After she had extricated herself from the mob, she had three options: follow Isane to the medical tent to be treated, follow Renji to Ukitake's office where Byakuya was also waiting, or follow Matsumoto to Hitsugaya's office.</p><p>Rukia wanted to give the decision its due thought, but her heart made its choice before her head could.</p><p>Renji had looked a little shocked, but Matsumoto had quickly whispered something into his ear that Rukia hadn't heard and promptly tugged her away.</p><p>Hitsugaya's office had become as familiar as her own home in the time she had spent there but as they had approached it, Rukia had been gripped with an uncertainty and nervousness she hadn't even felt at the exam she had just taken.</p><p>Like she normally did, Matsumoto had unceremoniously thrown the door open, ready to besiege her captain with her joyously exuberant sing-song voice, but she had suddenly stopped. Curious, Rukia had ducked out from behind the woman to see.</p><p>It was hard to describe the feelings she had experienced in that moment. Rukia was a highly rational person, and her brain was able to quickly figure out that Momo was <em>crying</em>, and Hitsugaya was <em>comforting</em> her. Her brain also helpfully supplied that she <em>knew</em> the two had grown up together, that Hitsugaya was among Momo's greatest supporters, and a great many other things she had heard about the two from Renji and Matsumoto here and there.</p><p>But her heart—oh, her heart.</p><p>It felt like it had shrivelled up and dropped right out of her chest. Rukia had taken many hits and falls in her Shinigami career, and one that had always stuck with her was when she had fallen hard on her front, sending a shockwave of pain through her chest that reverberated in her breastbone. It felt like that.</p><p>Not only that, Hitsugaya was <em>different</em>. Rukia knew this because she had to tilt her head back a bit to meet his eyes. He was taller, with broader shoulders and a face that had lost some of its roundness. And he was practically brimming with power, especially in the way his eyes seemed to sharpen as he stared at her.</p><p>For a moment, Rukia wondered if this change had come about in the month she hadn't seen him. But she realized quickly that this had to have been because he had won the fight in his inner world against himself, unlocking some newfound power that had somehow aged him up a bit.</p><p>She was struck anew by how good he looked (Rukia couldn't quite bring herself to use the word <em>handsome</em> right then), a thought that was not kind to her already shaken soul.</p><p>But then she had felt Matsumoto's fingers lightly press into the small of her back. Rukia had never felt as grateful for a person quite like she did in that moment, and that little touch had grounded her, sucking most (though not all) of the pain away. She shook herself and was able to give Momo a kind smile.</p><p>Unohana walked back into the examination room, pulling Rukia back into the present. The kindly captain smiled at her.</p><p>"Well, Kuchiki-san, you're all set to go. I have a form here to sign you off for your trip to the human world. I can sign it for you, but in my professional opinion, I would highly recommend that you do not go. Based on your most recent medical history, I don't feel assured approving this trip for you."</p><p>Rukia, who had been swinging her legs below the examination table, hands gripping the edge, looked up a little blankly.</p><p>"But I feel fine?"</p><p>"Do you?" The captain went on smiling. "I'm afraid the poisoning and training, in addition to such a strenuous exam, has taken its toll on your body. You do not require hospitalization, but I strongly recommend some rest and recovery for at least two weeks. That sounds reasonable, don't you think?"</p><p>When Captain Unohana smiled, it was hard to see the woman's eyes, but Rukia didn't need to see to feel their effects. She gulped and quickly nodded her head.</p><p>"Excellent. I will see you in two weeks' time for a check-up. I hope I don't see you before then, Kuchiki-san."</p><p>At this clear dismissal, Rukia hopped off the table and skirted around the still-smiling captain to the door, thinking Byakuya and Kenpachi had nothing on this woman when it came to fearsomeness. Hell, even the Head Captain had to be more outright intimidating to achieve the same effect she could manage with just a smile.</p><hr/><p>Rukia decided to go to the bar after all. What the heck, she had just passed the lieutenant's exam, not to mention survived poisoning <em>and</em> her lieutenant's training. Now that she'd had a few hours for it to sink in, she had become giddy with happiness and relief.</p><p>And Renji wouldn't let her miss it, practically dragging her out of her captain's office, where he'd been telling her stories about when he had trained under the head captain. Intrigued, Ukitake had taken it upon himself to go as well, setting off to make sure his good friend Kyoraku was also well-informed.</p><p>However, despite Matsumoto's confidence, she and Renji could not convince Byakuya to join them.</p><p>He dismissed Rukia with a wave of his hand and a somewhat exasperated but well-meant <em>Enjoy yourself</em>.</p><p>"What about me, Captain Kuchiki?" Renji bravely asked.</p><p>Byakuya, who was sipping tea elegantly and pursuing something that looked suspiciously like an S.W.A. magazine, didn't even look up.</p><p>"Do restrain yourself tonight, Renji," he said, "The recruitment forms and maintenance reports will be waiting for you tomorrow morning."</p><p>"I did the maintenance reports yesterday," Renji protested.</p><p>"Yes, but your penmanship was worse than atrocious. I expect them to be redone before noon tomorrow."</p><p>"But—"</p><p>"And the budget presentation needs to be revised, as well."</p><p>"Can't that wait until—ow! Bloody hell—"</p><p>Renji doubled over to grasp the spot on his shin where Rukia had just kicked him.</p><p>"Do you not want to be able to drink at all?" she hissed at him before turning back to her brother, who was pretending he hadn't seen anything at all. "Thank you, Nii-sama. We'll take our leave now."</p><p>"Your brother is a tyrant," Renji complained, but only when they were well away from the Sixth Division barracks, and even then he looked warily over his shoulder as he did, as if his captain would materialize out of thin air.</p><p>"You baboon," Rukia scolded with a roll of her eyes. "That was his way of telling you to have a good time."</p><p>Renji looked at her dumbly. "Did we hear different conversations back there?"</p><p>Rukia made a sound that was a mix between a scoff and a short laugh. She shook her head in exaggerated disappointment. "So long you've been working with Nii-sama, yet you still can't pick up on these things."</p><p>Renji knocked his fist harmlessly on the back of her head. "Oh, and you're the expert now?"</p><p>"I am," she said proudly. "But I also happen to be about ten times smarter than you."</p><p>"If you're so smart, then explain this thing between you and Captain Hitsugaya."</p><p>Rukia tripped a little and Renji caught her by the arm, raising an eyebrow and stopping them in the middle of the street.</p><p>"I don't know what you're talking about," she hedged.</p><p>"Doesn't sound like something a smart person would say," he commented drily, setting her back securely on her feet. "What was with running off to find him first thing after your exam?"</p><p>"I wanted to thank him," she said. "And I didn't <em>run off</em>."</p><p>"That's not what it looked like to me," Renji folded his arms. "Rangiku told me to just let you go, that she would explain, but only when the time was right. She didn't want to jinx it, whatever that means."</p><p>Rukia frowned, wondering why Lieutenant Matsumoto seemed to know things she didn't.</p><p>"Captain Kuchiki also made some cryptic remarks while you were staying at the Tenth," Renji went on. "And what was up with that too, by the way? I was waiting until after the exam to ask you. And apparently, Captain Hitsugaya calls you by your given name now?"</p><p>"What?" Rukia's frown lightened in surprise and then deepened once more. "No, he doesn't."</p><p>"Yes, he does," Renji insisted. "Captain was complaining about it."</p><p>Rukia was suddenly returned to that moment she had last appeared on the top of that snowy hill, when Captain Hitsugaya had looked up at her with unconcealed relief. He had called her Rukia then, and she hadn't even really noticed. How easily it had rolled off his tongue, she realized.</p><p>"You're blushing," Renji noted.</p><p>And that Rukia couldn't deny. She could feel the warmth in her cheeks and the tips of her ears.</p><p>"You like him, don't you?" Renji asked, voice oddly quiet. It was a question but the firmness of his tone made it clear he was already convinced.</p><p>Rukia's wide eyes looked up at him. Her mouth formed the word <em>No</em>, but, strangely, it didn't come out. This was because, for once, her head and heart seemed to be in complete agreement, and now that Renji had said the words, Rukia found that they precisely described all the feelings she had been having about the Tenth Division captain for a while now.</p><p>"I can't like him," she blurted, surprising herself and Renji.</p><p>"But you do," he pointed out.</p><p>"I <em>can't</em>," she insisted. "He's a captain and I'm just a—"</p><p>"Lieutenant," Renji interrupted her, "And, give it ten years or so, probably a captain, too."</p><p>"It's not just that. I'm a Kuchiki, and, and—"</p><p>"Being a Kuchiki didn't stop your brother from marrying your sister," said Renji plainly. "And if you can't even articulate your reasons, then they probably aren't very good to begin with."</p><p>Rukia paused, eyeing him. "Where did you learn the word articulate?"</p><p>"It's what Captain is always telling me to be in my reports—and don't try to change the subject."</p><p>"I can't like him," Rukia said again, folding her hands and resuming walking. Renji quickly caught up with her.</p><p>"But you <em>do</em>."</p><p>"It doesn't matter."</p><p>"Of course it does! What are you going to do about it?"</p><p>"Why do I have to do something about it?"</p><p>"Because, because—"</p><p>Renji stopped walking. Curious, Rukia looked back at him, just in time to see a rather pained expression flitter across his face.</p><p>"Because then you'll spend the rest of your life pining after someone who doesn't even know how you feel," he finished, all in one breath.</p><p>Surprised, Rukia considered him carefully for a moment. "You're being dramatic," she said, trying to make her voice sound assured.</p><p>Renji grimaced.</p><p>"Don't tell me you're speaking from experience," she said, equal parts amused, sympathetic, and somewhat horrified.</p><p>"We're not talking about me, we're talking about you and your crush on Captain Hitsugaya," he huffed.</p><p>"Who is it? Have I met them? It's not Rangiku is it? It's not <em>Nii-sama</em> is it—?"</p><p>Renji slapped a hand over her mouth, frantically looking around.</p><p>"You can't say stuff like that!" he hissed and, noticing the way her eyes lit up in glee, quickly added, "<em>No</em>, it isn't—look, it isn't someone you've ever met, okay?"</p><p>Renji's face was openly desperate, and his eyes plainly begged her to stop asking. Rukia stuck her tongue out and licked him. Disgusted, he immediately pulled his hand away from her face.</p><p>"I won't bother you about it if you don't bother me about this," she offered.</p><p>"About your crush on Captain Hitsugaya?"</p><p>"And your crush on my Nii-sama."</p><p>"I told you, it's not—" Renji ran a hand down his face. "Fine!" he gave in. "Have it your way."</p><p>That's what he said but Rukia knew her friend well enough to know the look in his eyes meant this wasn't the end of it.</p><hr/><p>The party was well underway by the time Rukia and Renji got there. It seemed like most of the lieutenants were there, including Momo and Kuna, the latter of whom had also successfully passed the lieutenant's exam earlier that day. From the looks of it, most of them were already on their way to becoming drunk. There were several captains there as well, including Kenpachi (who Rukia didn't think <em>could</em> get drunk), and Kyoraku, who was about as sober as Rukia was used to seeing him, probably because, since Ukitake couldn't drink, the white-haired captain kept sliding over all the shots of sake he was being offered to his friend.</p><p>There were some seated officers there, too, mostly the usual suspects, like Ikkaku and Yumichika, and, surprisingly, Hanataro.</p><p>"Rukia, you made it!" Matsumoto zeroed in on her immediately, subjecting Rukia to an engulfing hug. "What about your trip?"</p><p>"I decided not to go," Rukia said into her bosom, "Wouldn't have been good, you know, for my health."</p><p>Matsumoto released her. "That's too bad," she said, looking like she wasn't sorry about it at all. "But that means we get to have you for the night!"</p><p>Rukia was immediately swept away by the very tipsy Matsumoto, who sat her amidst the other female lieutenants, who seemed to have created a temporary clique, occupying a table to themselves. Truthfully, Rukia was a little nervous around the strawberry blonde, since she couldn't figure out whether the perceptive lieutenant had managed to pick up on her feelings for her captain before Rukia had even become aware of them herself.</p><p>This seemed to be the farthest thing from Matsumoto's mind, fortunately, and Rukia managed to relax a little. Unfortunately, Rukia quickly realized that, between the times she had last seen them and right then, Matsumoto and Momo had dressed themselves up in pretty yukatas and make-up, and honestly, Rukia felt a little left out, since she had only bothered to replace her torn shihakusho. Though they weren't the only ones who had taken the time to change out of their uniforms, there were still many who hadn't, so Rukia didn't stand out too much. This made her somewhat relieved that Hitsugaya wasn't among the captains present, even if she had initially felt disappointment when she had first arrived and her eyes couldn't find his frosty white hair.</p><p>Perhaps she thought this too soon, for right then the Tenth Division captain walked through the door.</p><p>Rukia, who happened to be sitting with a pristine view of the doorway, couldn't help choking on the sake she was drinking. Thankfully, Matsumoto didn't appear to notice this. But, unbeknownst to Rukia, Momo did.</p><p>"Shiro-chan!" she called out to him, causing Rukia to flinch.</p><p>The captain frowned at the address—how did he manage to look attractive even when doing that?—but obligingly made his way over to them.</p><p>"It's Captain Hitsugaya," he said when he was close enough for them to hear, clearly exasperated.</p><p>The young captain's gaze easily found Rukia's, and he raised an eyebrow in question. Rukia could only shrug, lifting one shoulder delicately and managing to meet his eyes calmly, even if her hastily pounding heart was making its protest at this known.</p><p>Momo, quite tipsy herself, scooted aside and patted the seat next to her, which also happened to be the seat next to Rukia, too. Rukia completely froze, eyes shifting away to look casually at a point somewhere over Hitsugaya's right shoulder, but watching him carefully in her peripheral.</p><p>The universe seemed to be on her side for once and the captain, throwing a pointed look around the table that was filled with women only, ignored the invitation, opting to sit at the table next to them with Ukitake and Kyoraku.</p><p>From that point on, Rukia could not follow the conversation around her if her life depended on it. It was through sheer luck alone that she managed to answer the few questions or comments directed at her in a way that made sense. It was a good thing there was an abundance of alcohol around because she didn't think her absentmindedness would fly if the women around her were sober. Rukia only managed to avoid drinking too heavily, what with having both her own and Renji's secret to keep safe now, by making it known Unohana would disapprove after her earlier assessment of Rukia's health, which had been supported by Isane.</p><p>"Hey," Momo leaned into her. "You and Abarai-kun—no, no, no, it's Renji…or is it Abarai? No, it's Renji, I'm pretty sure. That guy over there," Momo pointed in Renji's vague direction but managed to miss the man by a good foot or two. "Is there a thing…y'know, a boy-girl thing—what's the word? Friends? No, but that sounds like it…the boy-girl thing, the boy-girl friend—is that you? Is he your boy-girl friend?"</p><p>Rukia, who had been carefully following the girl's broken description, snorted delicately into her watered-down sake, her gaze flickering from where they had been for most of the night to where Renji was leaning against the bar counter, carrying on an incomprehensible conversation with Yumichika that seemed to be about the aesthetics of blood splatter.</p><p>"Renji is my friend," Rukia told her and, sensing the way the girl seemed to tense against her shoulder, clearly not able to understand the word <em>friend</em> in its original meaning, added, "Not my boyfriend—or girlfriend, I think. Just friend, pals, buddies, like that."</p><p>"Oh," Momo relaxed against her again, "That's good."</p><p>"Good?" Rukia questioned.</p><p>Momo waved her hand vaguely before her. "Very good. I'm also not Shiro-chan's boy-girl friend. We, too, are pals. Just thought you might want to know."</p><p>Now it was Rukia's turn to stiffen, since she had been wondering that very thing since she'd been to Hitsugaya's office that day. Momo didn't appear to notice, rousing herself from her slump against Rukia, attention stolen by an argument between Matsumoto and Yachiru about who a very specific cup of sake belonged to.</p><p>Rukia's gaze slid back to Hitsugaya, whose new appearance she still wasn't quite used to but which she was taking every opportunity to familiarize herself with. The young captain had spent the night making sure Ukitake didn't consume any alcohol while also making sure Kyoraku didn't consume <em>too</em> much alcohol. He did this by drinking quite a bit of the sake on their table.</p><p>Despite this, Hitsugaya didn't appear to be drunk, as far as Rukia could tell. But he certainly seemed more relaxed, reminding her of how he became when they would sit in his office on slow mornings and talk about whatever was on her mind that day. It had been a long time since she had seen this side of him and Rukia missed it—she missed having access to it, and she missed being the cause of it.</p><p>As she watched, a drunken Kyoraku leaned across the table to snatch at a cup of sake that was nowhere in his vicinity. Hitsugaya quickly moved it, but instead of relocating it well out of the other captain's reach or swallowing it himself, he merely nudged it away a little. Kyoraku's hand followed and Hitsugaya pushed it a few more inches out of reach. This went on for a bit, greatly amusing the observing Ukitake. Kyoraku seemed to be taking it in good faith but he seemed not to get the point, continually reaching for it, even though someone had already presented him a fresh glass. But no matter how hard he tried, or how sneaky he thought he was, Captain Hitsugaya was just too fast, and as the older captain's attempts became more desperate and excessive, a small smile made its way onto Hitsugaya's face. It was the kind of smile you just made without trying or even being aware, and it was full of laughter and mischief.</p><p>Rukia, who had been watching this little melodrama play out with a small smile of her own, had a strange thought right then.</p><p>What if that belonged to her?</p><p>Rukia had never had the notion of <em>owning</em> something like someone else's smile before but that's exactly what she wanted. It was an oddly sobering thought.</p><p>Around this time, most of the room had already devolved. Isane, Nanao and Nemu were currently seeing to the more drunk lieutenants, attempting to gently urge them on their feet to leave. Matsumoto was highly reluctant to being persuaded and she clung onto Momo, loudly sobbing about how she was being bullied because Nanao wouldn't let her open another bottle of sake.</p><p>Rukia managed to pass Isane's sobriety check, even if she felt a little light headed, and she was deemed sober enough to see herself home.</p><p>Renji was in the midst of drunkenly comparing the colour of his hair to the red markings at the corners of Ikkaku's eyes, not at all seeming like he had any intention of leaving soon. So Rukia slipped out of the bar alone.</p><p>She made it out of the lively night district before she realized she was being followed. Somewhere in the vicinity of the Third Division, she stopped. She was standing on the stone walkway between two buildings. The area was dimly lit by a few streetlamps and the moon overhead. Rukia stared pointedly at the roof of the building to her right. After a beat, a shadowed figure leapt down into the street with her.</p><p>"You're not very good at hiding your reiatsu, Captain Hitsugaya," she observed.</p><p>"I wasn't trying to hide," the white-haired captain replied. His haori and hair glowed faintly but his face was shaded.</p><p>"You just prowl around on rooftops at night for fun?"</p><p>"Occasionally," he said lightly and stepped closer.</p><p>Rukia stepped back but ended up stumbling a bit. Maybe she was more drunk than she had thought.</p><p>Hitsugaya's hands immediately reached for her but she hastily waved him off, retreating even more. "I'm fine, fine."</p><p>"Are you drunk?" he asked, concerned.</p><p>"<em>No</em>," she insisted. "I'm a little…dizzy." It was chilly out, especially with the strongest ice-snow type zanpakuto wielder standing so close, but Rukia's neck felt really warm and itchy. Her face did, too, and she was horrified to think she was blushing right then. She resisted the urge to pat her face and hoped it was too dark for the captain to see her clearly. To be safe, she took another step back.</p><p>"You drank quite a lot," he mused, with a flavour of disapproval.</p><p>"It was watered down—wait, how do you know that?"</p><p>"I noticed," he said simply. "I'm surprised you didn't realize, what with how much you were staring at me."</p><p>Rukia felt her stomach drop out of her, but now that she thought about it, she hadn't really thought to be particularly stealthy about it. She just assumed Hitsugaya was too preoccupied with his own table to pay attention to her.</p><p>She was definitely blushing now, she didn't need to feel her face to know that.</p><p>"Maybe I am drunk," she murmured, and turned on her heel and walked off.</p><p>Horrifically, the captain fell into step beside her.</p><p>"It's rude to walk away from a captain without being dismissed," he drawled.</p><p>"Sorry, what? I'm too drunk to understand you," Rukia told him plainly and flash stepped off. Unfortunately, although she had gotten faster and better at flash step, she still wasn't quite up to par with a captain, and Hitsugaya gave chase easily, seemingly content to just follow after her. She thought with dismay that all the alcohol she had seen him consume didn't seem to have had an effect on him at all.</p><p>Rukia's foot missed a tile on a rooftop and she pitched forward. Of course, she was quickly caught, Hitsugaya's fingers curiously catching onto her hand and pulling her back. The hand wasn't a good place to catch someone who was falling over—the forces at play made this a very poor arrangement, so when he tugged her, her shoulder hit his chest, pushing him back a bit and forcing his other hand to come up and wrap around her. All in all, they became an awkward tangle of limbs, standing on some Third Division building in the dead of the night.</p><p>Rukia forgot how to breathe.</p><p>Behind her, Hitsugaya sighed and set about retrieving his arms, making sure he didn't jostle her over the ledge of the roof.</p><p>"You actually ran away," he said, voice equal parts amused and exasperated. "You were doing it before, too."</p><p>Rukia wanted to put some space between them even then, but the way they were standing kept her at the very edge of the roof. She could shunpo away but that would just prove that she <em>was</em> running away, which she had been, but she didn't want to admit that.</p><p>"Look, Rukia," Captain Hitsugaya ran a hand through his hair, and his tone of voice made her turn around. The captain was wearing an expression she had never seen on him before: contrite, pained, and a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry."</p><p>He said this while watching her face, clearly gauging her reaction with wariness. Unfortunately, Rukia only had confusion to give him.</p><p>"You are? What are you sorry for?"</p><p>"Putting you in danger? Potentially impairing your ability to pass your lieutenant's exam? Dragging you into my whole inner world thing to begin with? Not coming to see you while you were at the Fourth? All of it?"</p><p>Although Hitsugaya had recently grown up significantly, literally, how he was right then made him seem very young and almost boyish. He was relaying his perceived faults against her with noticeable guilt and a kind of hope that he wouldn't be punished for them but completely expecting to be anyway.</p><p>Rukia found herself endeared, and at the same time felt herself sinking deeper into a hole in her heart that seemed to have his name on it. How long that hole had lived there, she didn't know, but it looked awfully comfortable.</p><p>"That's—" she cleared her throat, "You don't have to apologize for those things. They weren't your fault, I never blamed you. Except for that last one, but Lieutenant Matsumoto explained it and I understand, so it's okay."</p><p>He seemed genuinely surprised to have been let off so easily, his eyes studying her face. Rukia looked away. What she said was true, she had walked into all those things of her own free will. Just because Hitsugaya had been involved didn't mean that he was to blame for them. His not coming to see her while she recovered and even while she trained afterward did hurt, more than she wanted to admit, but it was funny, when you liked someone, how easily you forgave them, even without conscious thought.</p><p>"Then," the captain said, the unwavering tenor of his voice drawing Rukia's attention back, "why were you running away?"</p><p>His steely eyes plainly told her he would accept nothing but the real answer, and Rukia realized she might have fallen into some sort of trap.</p><p>She opened her mouth but then closed it without saying anything. Renji's voice wafted into her mind.</p><p>
  <em>Because then you'll spend the rest of your life pining after someone who doesn't even know how you feel.</em>
</p><p>She didn't know who Renji was pining after and she didn't know what he had suffered. But she did know her brother was still pining after her sister, that he had for a while, and that he would continue to do so for the foreseeable future. It was possible that Byakuya would, someday, eventually move on, but Rukia knew in the depths of her soul that it wouldn't happen. It was hard to perceive suffering in the Sixth Division captain but she knew better than most that there was pain and hurt in her brother's heart. Rukia realized then that the rest of her life might be a very, <em>very</em> long time.</p><p>"I don't want to pine for the rest of my life," she blurted. Yes, she was far more drunk than she had thought. It was just her luck that inebriation made her brain-to-mouth filter malfunction but did nothing to slur her words into incomprehensible gibberish. She heard herself as clear as day.</p><p>Hitsugaya looked taken aback for a moment before he frowned. "You ran away from me because you didn't want to <em>pine</em> for the rest of your life?" he asked, clearly not understanding.</p><p>Rukia shook her head. She couldn't know how she looked to Captain Hitsugaya right then but I will tell you. Her face was an odd mixture of pallor and bright pink, her large eyes very wide and round in her thin face, giving the impression of a somewhat scared and anxious child. She was biting her lip, a thing Hitsugaya found unreasonably distracting, and it was clear to the captain that there was some kind of intense internal debate going on in her little head. Rukia had never struck him as an overthinker; she was always very straightforward and decisive, and she had the intelligence to manage being so without bringing about any harm. He had always found her preciseness and practicality refreshing, and had never seen her as excessively emotional as she was right then. It made him very curious.</p><p>"Rukia—"</p><p>"I think…I like you."</p><p>The thing was, Rukia had made the conscious decision to say it, so she really shouldn't be feeling as panicked and regretful as she did immediately afterward.</p><p>She couldn't quite look at him right then so she looked at a spot off into the distance and didn't see his expression. I'll tell you anyway: Hitsugaya didn't immediately process her words because he just had not been expecting it. When he did, his brain helpfully recalled all the little reactions, mannerisms and behaviour that he hadn't thought much of before that suddenly seemed to illustrate her statement. It seemed a little obvious now. His brow relaxed, his surprise quickly fading away. He found himself pleased, flattered, a little relieved, and wholly curious, and this showed on his face.</p><p>"You think?"</p><p>Rukia seemed startled at his normality, but it brought her eyes back to him, which was what he wanted.</p><p>"I'm pretty sure," she mumbled. "I haven't really processed it myself yet."</p><p>"So you ran away because you like me?" he asked, unable to help the teasing lilt to his voice. That was incredibly adorable.</p><p>"Well, wouldn't you?" she said, somewhat defensively.</p><p>"No, Rukia, I wouldn't."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>Rukia was at a loss as to what to do now. If she had actually thought this out, she might have had a plan for this part, this somewhat awkward silence between them. She didn't, and the longer Hitsugaya remained quiet, just observing her, seeming to be thinking about something himself, the more she wanted to run. She knew that she was due to receive a rejection or, unlikely, some kind of reciprocity, and as the seconds ticked by, a little voice told her that if he felt the same he would have said so by now. Only a rejection, probably worded to be as gentle as possible and to leave her some dignity, required this much thought.</p><p>"I have to go," she said, striving to make her voice as calm and even as she could manage—hard, given the circumstances, but our Rukia was very practiced at hiding her feelings under a layer of indifference. "I would appreciate if you didn't follow me this time, Captain Hitsugaya. It's been a long day and I'd like to go home."</p><p>He was still regarding her with unreadable eyes but looked a little surprised at her abrupt change in demeanour and request. He looked like he wanted to say something but Rukia wasn't meeting his eyes, head bowed respectfully.</p><p>"As you wish."</p><p>And she was gone before the words had fully left his tongue, leaving him alone on the rooftop, the first rays of sunrise emerging behind him, with a lot to think about.</p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Hitsugaya trades his soul for a soul</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  <em>He figured the line not to be crossed was already somewhere behind him. One more step couldn't hurt.</em>
</p><hr/><p>"And you just…let her leave? You really did that? You even <em>gave her permission</em> to go? Without saying anything?"</p><p>"You're overreacting," Hitsugaya sighed, bemused by the way his lieutenant was gaping at him from where she sat on the sofa.</p><p>"You've never confessed to anyone have you?"</p><p>"Not that it's any of your business, but no."</p><p>"None of my—" Matsumoto looked offended. "<em>Oh</em>, we'll get back to that," she promised. She shook herself in clear disbelief. "I failed," she said to herself. "I didn't teach you nearly enough."</p><p>"Now you're just not making any sense," her captain said. He was sitting behind his desk, the morning correspondences untouched before him, including one from the Twelfth Division that had been marked urgent. He had come into the office like normal, made himself some tea from his now overflowing collection, and then immediately became lost in thought. It was well past noon when Matsumoto came in, dishevelled, clearly hungover, but still attentive enough to notice his absentmindedness.</p><p>As she had prepared to lay herself down on the sofa to nap off the rest of her hangover, she had jokingly commented on his dazedness.</p><p>Without really thinking about it, Hitsugaya had told her what had happened the night before. His lieutenant had shot right up, as alert as could be.</p><p>"I can't believe you didn't say anything," Matsumoto bemoaned. "Poor Rukia."</p><p>Hitsugaya frowned. Rukia had looked…well, at first she had looked nervous and uncertain. But she had been exceptionally straightforward and open in her admittance, and Hitsugaya had attributed this to her being drunk. A few moments had passed and it was like a veil had fallen over her face. She had seemed distant then, retreated, and eager to get away from him. She hadn't seemed hurt, exactly—Hitsugaya just assumed she was coming to her senses and seemed to have finally realized what she had just told him. He wasn't sure it necessitated a <em>Poor Rukia</em>.</p><p>"I was thinking about it," he defended himself.</p><p>"This is not something you need to think long and hard about," his lieutenant was lecturing him—a rather novel reverse of their roles. "It's a matter of how you <em>feel</em>. It's not that complicated. Either you like her back or you don't."</p><p>"What are we, children?" Hitsugaya rolled his eyes.</p><p>Matsumoto wagged a finger at him. "Don't avoid the point," she said. "Do you like her back or not?"</p><p>The captain fell silent. Matsumoto let him be for a while, patient for once in her life, but the longer he kept quiet, the wider her smile stretched. When she was outright grinning, she confidently said, "You like her back."</p><p>Hitsugaya sighed.</p><p>There had only been a few hours between standing on that rooftop last night and when he came to the office. He hadn't slept. He'd sat in his quarters and filled his mind with that little Shinigami called Kuchiki Rukia.</p><p>The more he had thought about what she had said—<em>I think I like you, I'm pretty sure</em>—the more he couldn't get her out of his mind, not even enough to sleep. Though he wasn't experienced at these things, he was at least self-aware enough to know that he was expected to give an answer. He realized this was probably what Rukia had been waiting for last night. But Hitsugaya's mind had been busy thinking about how her confession had made him feel.</p><p>He had come to several conclusions in the following hours. It was like a cloud of smoke had suddenly dissipated.</p><p>He missed Rukia. He missed having her around, missed talking to her, missed being able to answer her questions. More concernedly, he missed having access to her. The month he hadn't gone to see her had been by his own decision. But now that he knew he wasn't on the hook for that, his immediate plan had been to find a way to start seeing her again. Now that she was back at her division, as a lieutenant, no less, he knew that this would be almost impossible. As much as he liked and admired Ukitake, he was somewhat envious of how close the man was to her. He had thought about her well-known friendship with Abarai and found that he now kind of despised the man. Hirako also seemed to have an interest in her. Worst of all was the very clearly intimate relationship she had with Kurosaki. Rukia had given up her powers, had been willing to give up her life, for the boy and he had literally invaded Soul Society for her. It went without saying that there was something between them.</p><p>Hitsugaya found that he did not like this at all.</p><p>He found himself thinking that Rukia had been <em>his</em> during those weeks they had been locked up together. All of her time, all of her conversations, all of her smiles and those bubbly laughs she would make, those tiny frowns she made when her calligraphy smudged, all those little bites of her lip while she knitted—they had been because of him, for him, or only for him to see.</p><p>And now he no longer had access to them, to her.</p><p>But the real nail in his coffin, so to speak, had been the thought of kissing her, a thought that had materialized in his mind from seemingly out of nowhere. He found he wanted to kiss her, when she had looked at him with those wide eyes of hers last night, when she had looked up at him from her eyelashes, when she had smiled down at him from the snowy hilltop in his inner world, when she had stood at her door in her pretty yukata after he had dropped her off, when she had fallen asleep on her calligraphy. There were too many. How had he never realized it before?</p><p>The fact that Rukia liked him also did things to him he couldn't fully describe, much less explain. It felt like he had won something, that he had been <em>chosen</em>. Not Abarai, not Kurosaki, not Hirako. He felt fears he hadn't even known he had put to rest. He felt relieved. He felt like he wanted to listen to her say it over, and over, and over again.</p><p>The thought of rejecting her never even crossed his mind—and he figured out what mistake he had made last night.</p><p>He didn't bother to pretend to not know what all this meant and when he had finally figured this out, Hyorinmaru had given a soft growl and curled in satisfaction.</p><p>"You <em>like</em> her. You <em>really</em> like her. It's all over your face." Matsumoto's grin was filled with glee and triumph.</p><p>"You are not allowed to say anything—"</p><p>"I knew it!"</p><p>"—not to anyone—"</p><p>"Finally, it took you long enough."</p><p>"—especially to Rukia—"</p><p>"I can't wait to talk to Rukia."</p><p>Hitsugaya gave Matsumoto a glare and she held up her palms in surrender.</p><p>"What's your plan, Captain?" she asked him. "You do have a plan, right?"</p><p>Hitsugaya did not. He hadn't quite gotten there yet.</p><p>Matsumoto heaved a great sigh. "We have so much work to do."</p><hr/><p>"…the budget presentations are due next week. I need you to look over the spending reports before I sign off on it. I'll need you to prepare the projector, too, and Rukia—Rukia? Lieutenant Kuchiki? Kuchiki-fukutaicho? Ru—u—kia—"</p><p>"Huh? What?"</p><p>Rukia snapped her eyes back to her captain. She hadn't noticed but his voice had taken on a sing-song, teasing tone, and he smiled when he finally had her attention.</p><p>"You were spacing out again," he told her kindly.</p><p>"My apologies, Captain Ukitake," she hastily apologized.</p><p>He waved his hand magnanimously. "I understand, you must still be in a daze from yesterday."</p><p>"That's—yes, I suppose," Rukia sighed.</p><p>She <em>was</em> in a daze from yesterday, but it wasn't for the reason her captain probably thought.</p><p>"Lieutenant inaugurations are next week as well," her captain reminded her. "You'll need to prepare."</p><p>"Mentally," she said, cracking a smile.</p><p>"Well, yes, but also, the other captains and lieutenants will be there," Ukitake said thoughtfully. "If I can recall from when Kaien was inaugurated, the lieutenants have their own special inauguration rituals. It will probably involve sake and some kind of hazing event."</p><p>"Oh." Rukia's mind had paused at <em>other captains</em>. This was an event where all captains were required to be present. Rukia was doing her best not to picture a certain white-haired, green-eyed, Tenth Division captain. She had been trying and failing this particular task all morning, and this time was no exception.</p><p>"Rukia?"</p><p>"Sorry! Sorry! I just—"</p><p>Ukitake smiled at her. "You seem to have something on your mind," he said, with concern and not a little curiosity.</p><p>Rukia held her stiffened posture for a moment longer before her shoulders slouched and she buried her face in her hands.</p><p>"I did something stupid," she bemoaned, her voice muffled.</p><p>Incredibly, Ukitake didn't look alarmed at his dismayed lieutenant. Instead, his smile became amused.</p><p>"Does it have anything to do with Captain Hitsugaya?"</p><p>Rukia's little body froze. Slowly, she parted two of her fingers, looking at her captain with one round eye.</p><p>"How did you know?" she asked, her voice an incredulous whisper.</p><p>Captain Ukitake looked a little sheepish. "You're brother has been airing some concerns whenever he comes here recently—on your birthday and when you were poisoned in particular. Also, he left last night to follow after you."</p><p>The girl groaned. "First Renji and now you. I never knew nii-sama was such a gossip."</p><p>"When it comes to you, I suppose he is," the captain said, thoughtful.</p><p>Rukia sighed, ran her hands through her hair, and sat up straight. "I did something stupid," she said again.</p><p>"Involving Captain Hitsugaya?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Something serious?"</p><p>"You could say that."</p><p>"Is it bad?"</p><p>"You could say that, too."</p><p>"Fixable?"</p><p>"Not unless you can go back in time."</p><p>"Redeemable?"</p><p>"Probably not."</p><p>"Forgivable?"</p><p>"Unlikely."</p><p>"Now, I think you're being dramatic. What exactly did you do to Captain Hitsugaya?"</p><p>"I told him I think I like him."</p><p>There was a pause.</p><p>"You told him…that you think you like him?"</p><p>"Actually, I said I was pretty sure."</p><p>Rukia was looking off into the distance unseeingly. She resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands again.</p><p>Ukitake chuckled, startling her.</p><p>"Did you mean it?" he asked.</p><p>She hesitated, but then nodded, feeling her cheeks warm.</p><p>"Ah," her captain said. "And why is this bad, unfixable, irredeemable and unforgiveable?"</p><p>"Because—because—he doesn't like me back! And I've just ruined our perfectly fine platonic relationship by making things awkward!"</p><p>This outburst left her a little breathless and she had to take a moment to catch her breath back.</p><p>Ukitake seemed unmoved. "How do you know he doesn't like you back? He said so?"</p><p>"Well, no…"</p><p>"Hmm, I guess that means that you're still awaiting a response?" he asked her, smiling.</p><p>"I guess," Rukia agreed hesitantly.</p><p>"And all these fears are unnecessary?"</p><p>Rukia remained quiet.</p><p>"The way I see it, either Captain Hitsugaya reciprocates your feelings or he doesn't. Would that be so bad?" he asked her gently.</p><p>Rukia felt her face contort at the thought. Just the mention of it stung. Even though she fully expected to be rejected, her heart was still mostly filled with hope.</p><p>Ukitake's eyes were very kind. There was sympathy in there but also the kind of experience and perspective that came with age.</p><p>"I know it may seem like the worse thing in the world right now," he said, "But even if he rejects you, the faster a wound is opened, the quicker it can heal."</p><p>Rukia nodded in a way that clearly told him she didn't really believe it but was agreeing with him for the sake of it.</p><p>Ukitake sighed. "For what it's worth, Tōshirō isn't the kind of person to abandon a friendship because of something like this. You won't lose him as a friend, no matter what happens."</p><p>More nodding.</p><p>To be fair, Rukia <em>was</em> listening. But like her mind had been doing all day, it super focused on the word <em>Tōshirō</em>. She almost said it out loud, wondering how it would feel in her mouth. Captain Hitsugaya was a person well-known for despising when people referred to him by his first name. To be able to do so must be some kind of special privilege.</p><p>"I think you should talk to Captain Hitsugaya," Ukitake suggested. "Since this seems to be bothering you so much."</p><p>Rukia winced, prepared to protest—only to immediately freeze. She and Captain Ukitake stared at each other: Rukia's eyes held disbelief, Ukitake's a horrific kind of amusement.</p><p>There was a knock on the office door. From the other side, Sentaro's voice called: "Captain, Lieutenant, Captain Hitsugaya is here to see you—"</p><p>"I told you I was going to announce the captain!" Kiyone's voice interrupted.</p><p>"No, I said I was!"</p><p>As the two third seats bickered behind the door, Ukitake gave his lieutenant a questioning gaze. Rukia took a moment to collect herself and then nodded to him.</p><p>"Let him in."</p><p>Captain Hitsugaya came in. Despite trying not to, Rukia still caught his eyes but quickly looked away.</p><p>"Your third seats are as argumentative as always," he commented dryly to Ukitake.</p><p>The older captain gave a laugh that was a touch nervous. "One day they'll grow out of it. Maybe. How can I help you Captain Hitsugaya?"</p><p>Hitsugaya brazenly pointed a finger at Rukia's dark head.</p><p>"I came to burrow your lieutenant," he said like it was the most natural thing in the world.</p><p>Rukia's head jerked up, eyes wide with surprise, face flushing ever so slightly. Even Ukitake looked shocked by this. The corner of Hitsugaya's mouth twitched.</p><p>"Kurotsuchi wants to see us," he explained. "He wants to make sure our reiatsu composition isn't affected by what happened. I came to collect Rukia and her zanpakuto. Can you spare her for the rest of the day?"</p><p>"It will take that long?" Ukitake asked dubiously.</p><p>"Who knows?" Hitsugaya replied with a shrug. "But I can assure you she'll be gone for the rest of the day."</p><p>Once again, Ukitake exchanged a look with Rukia. Over the years, the two had learned to communicate through facial expression alone.</p><p>"I can spare her," Ukitake said and Rukia got to her feet. Her captain followed her back with a complex look as they left.</p><hr/><p>The Thirteenth and Twelfth Divisions were neighbours. After Kurotsuchi had, for want of a better word, <em>experimented</em> on her after the whole Hogyoku business, Rukia had been rather resentful of his proximity. Now, she couldn't have been more grateful.</p><p>Few words were said between her and Hitsugaya as they walked the short distance, except for him to tell her that Kurotsuchi was expecting them immediately.</p><p>At the Twelfth, Nemu brought them over to Kurotsuchi's primary lab. Rukia took one step inside and froze. Hitsugaya had walked a few paces in before he realized she had stopped and turned to look at her.</p><p>The girl's face had been a pretty pink all the way to the Twelfth but now, it was as white as his haori. Her round eyes were flickering around the room, which was very much like a traditional laboratory, with strange-looking equipment, steel examination tables, cupboards with jars filled with all manner of things.</p><p>Hitsugaya watched her visibly swallow, take a deep breath, and then step further into the room.</p><p>"You okay?" he asked her quietly when she was next to him again. For the first time since he'd first step into Ukitake's office, Rukia met his eyes.</p><p>"Fine," she said shortly, and looked away.</p><p>"Please wait here," Nemu pointed to two chairs side by side. "I will go call Captain Kurotsuchi."</p><p>The room was very quiet after she left. Somewhere among Kurotsuchi's many experiments, there was the sound of water dripping. Hitsugaya looked over at Rukia.</p><p>The girl was sitting stiffly in her chair, head bowed, jaw tense. Her hands were laid across the chair's armrests and he could see that her small hands were clenched into fists so tight that her knuckles had gone white.</p><p>He remembered, suddenly, in one of their many mornings together, that she had mentioned something about having to see Kurotsuchi in his lab after she had been cleared of her treason charges. She hadn't said much other than that she wasn't very fond of the Twelfth Division captain—which hadn't surprised Hitsugaya at the time because this feeling was almost universal among Shinigami. But now, going by her reaction to being in this room, he realized the experience must have been <em>particularly</em> unpleasant for her.</p><p>Wordlessly, Hitsugaya draped his hand over the fist that was closest to him. His hand blanketed hers, the tan of his skin noticeably contrasting to hers. Her fist felt very cool under his palm, and the raised bumps of her bones were very pronounced and sharp. This hand, in all its delicateness and smallness, could wield a deadly zanpakuto.</p><p>Rukia jumped at the touch but didn't immediately pull away. Startled eyes looked at him. He met this look with a slightly arched eyebrow and saw her mouth drop open in a small <em>o</em> before the door opened and Kurotsuchi walked in.</p><p>"Oh good," Kurotsuchi said in that animated, high pitched voice of his. "You've already gotten started."</p><p>Rukia stiffened even more and Hitsugaya squeezed her hand reassuringly. He frowned at Kurotsuchi who was pulling on a pair of gloves over his blue hands.</p><p>"What exactly are you going to do?" he asked, a touch suspicious.</p><p>"An experiment," the other captain replied primly, punctuating with a snap of the glove against his wrist. His eyes moved between Rukia and Hitsugaya.</p><p>"Please relax yourself, Captain Hitsugaya, this won't be terribly invasive. Probably. I see you've brought your zanpakuto's along. Good."</p><p>With this kind of tepid assurance, Kurotsuchi wheeled a tall metal table over to them. On the table was what looked like a computer monitor and a pair of white gloves with a skeletal frame of black beads connected by silver lines. Kurotsuchi turned the monitor to face himself and picked up the gloves.</p><p>"Which is the hand you used most with your zanpakuto?" he asked. Hitsugaya raised his right hand. Unfortunately, Rukia had to drag hers out from under his to indicate her right hand as well.</p><p>"Put this on," he handed them each a glove. There were beads and lines on both sides of the gloves so they could fit on the left or right hand. The gloves appeared to be connected to the monitor by several wires.</p><p>Rukia waited until Hitsugaya slipped his on, making sure it was safe. He gave her a small nod and then she put hers on. It was a loose fit and was itchy but didn't seem like it would electrocute her. Yet.</p><p>Kurotsuchi was peering at the monitor. He looked for a moment before bringing his gaze to Rukia. "You're suppressing your reiatsu," he said flatly.</p><p>Rukia flushed. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Habit." She gave up restraining her reiatsu but his eyes lingered on her for a moment more before he returned to the screen.</p><p>From within his haori, Kurotsuchi pulled out a clipboard and a pen. He wrote something down and then spoke again: "Focus around two percent of your reiatsu into the glove."</p><p>Two percent wasn't a lot but Kurotsuchi wrote something down again.</p><p>"Twenty-five percent," he instructed.</p><p>The difference between Hitsugaya's and Rukia's reiatsu was noticeable here, a layer of frost emanating from Hitsugaya's gloved hand and down the leg of his chair. The Captain was clearly rigorously controlling it but the chill around him still made Rukia shiver.</p><p>"Hmm, interesting," Kurotsuchi murmured to himself, but didn't seem inclined to share his thoughts with the other two Shinigami. "Fifty percent."</p><p>There was a sharp drop in temperature in the laboratory. Some delicate glass instrument across the room broke by the sudden change. One of Kurotsuchi's eyes, independent of the other, fixed on it. His toothed mouth became downturned.</p><p>"I think that's as high as we can go," he said, dismayed. "Go back to your resting level."</p><p>The room warmed and Kurotsuchi jotted some more things down.</p><p>"Now," he announced, eyeing them with open interest. "Do what you were doing before," he pointed a finger at Rukia's glove and said to Hitsugaya, "Hold her hand."</p><p>Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow but reached for Rukia's hand. Rukia, however, pulled away. Both captains looked at her.</p><p>Kurotsuchi's tongue clicked inside his mouth. "Now, now, Kuchiki," he said, voice disapproving. "This procedure is mostly harmless. It would not be in my best interest to needlessly torture a captain and lieutenant of the Gotei Thirteen, even if the results are bound to be…<em>interesting</em>."</p><p>"Reassuring," Rukia deadpanned.</p><p>"I do not understand this reluctance," the Twelfth Division captain went on, clicking his tongue some more. "You have survived far more distressful experiments of mine before."</p><p>The room, which had been slowly rising back up in temperature, was suddenly plunged into iciness again. Kurotsuchi turned his attention to Hitsugaya, who was staring at him with something that could only be called a death glare.</p><p>"I said <em>resting</em> level, Captain Hitsugaya," Kurotsuchi scolded. "And I said to relax yourself." He pointed a finger at Rukia. "No harm will come to that girl in this laboratory. I have been lectured enough by Captains Ukitake and Kuchiki, thank you very much. Captain Kuchiki even went so far to threaten my funding. My <em>funding</em>. No Shinigami is worth my funding, you can have my word on that much."</p><p>Hitsugaya didn't look like he believed him, if the scowl on his face was anything to go by, but he reigned in his reiatsu.</p><p>The young captain looked over at Rukia, who was cradling her gloved hand to her chest, like he would bite her if she got too close.</p><p>"How long do we have to do this?" he asked Kurotsuchi.</p><p>"Until I have my data."</p><p>At Hitsugaya's unimpressed look, the other captain added: "Should be only a few minutes. I believe I told you beforehand that this would not take up more than a half hour of your afternoon."</p><p>Hitsugaya held his hand out to Rukia. The girl was frowning at him and he tried to make his expression as reassuring as he could. Hesitantly, like she had so long ago in Yamamoto's office, Rukia laid her hand in his.</p><p>The change was almost immediate.</p><p>The lab around him, Kurotsuchi and even Rukia, seemed to melt away. There was a feeling of falling but before he could react to this, he found himself standing in a forest. All around him were trees with heads of pure white flowers. Beneath his feet was an even, soft layer of snow. His feet sank in an inch or two but didn't feel cold to him. The flowers were slowly drifting onto the ground in serene arcs. Hitsugaya held his hand out to catch one and it immediately fell apart into snow in his palm.</p><p>He looked around him. The forest wasn't dense but there seemed to be some uniformity to the trees and the distance between them. It reminded him suddenly of the stalactites of ice Rukia had hovering over her that first time he had come upon her in his training grounds.</p><p>No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than he caught sight of something among the trees. It was a woman. Even from a distance and only being able to see the side of her face, Hitsugaya could tell that she was very beautiful. She would have blended into the white background if not for her pale lavender hair, several shades lighter than Rukia's eyes. She was wearing a kimono of the purest white Hitsugaya had ever seen (even his haori didn't come close), tied at the waist with a green obi, a purple bow with large, wide loops, resembling a butterfly's wings. She was holding out one elegant hand to a falling flower, which rested gently in her palm and remained whole, long sleeves almost sweeping the snowy floor.</p><p>Hitsugaya slowly approached her.</p><p>"Sode no Shirayuki," he said quietly when he was close enough.</p><p>The woman didn't even turn her head to look at him. "Captain Hitsugaya," she said, and her voice felt very much like those shards of ice that reflected prettily in the sunlight but that would slice your hand open if you tried to hold it.</p><p>Hitsugaya sighed. "I don't mean to intrude," he said truthfully.</p><p>"I suppose I should graciously welcome you here, given how my Lady Rukia has already traipsed through your soul."</p><p>The woman turned to face him. She had blue eyes, Hitsugaya realized, somewhat startled to see that they mostly resembled the eyes of the other Hitsugaya he had had to defeat to unlock his new power. Rukia had an icy gaze, but it was only a surface layer of frost. Beneath it was warmth and a sweet childishness. It was nothing like the coldness with which her zanpakuto spirit was looking at him right then.</p><p>"You don't have to," he said calmly. "None of that was Rukia's fault. And it's not like it bothered me."</p><p>"Then," Shirayuki drew the zanpakuto from her obi that he hadn't noticed before and pointed it at the hollow of his throat, "Should I kill you instead?"</p><p>Hitsugaya's gaze didn't waver but his hand instinctively reached for his own sword, which he had been specifically told to keep on him. Hyorinmaru wasn't there of course and he saw something that could have been amusement but was probably more likely ridicule flicker through Shirayuki's eyes.</p><p>"Ah yes, the legendary Hyorinmaru," she said lightly. "I probably shouldn't touch you, since my Lady is in his care right now." She lowered the sword.</p><p>"I don't think it's Hyorinmaru you would have to worry about if you killed me," Hitsugaya said, voice even but confident.</p><p>For a moment, Shirayuki's face showed undisguised surprise. Then she cracked a smile. There was no dimple in Shirayuki's smile but something about the way her eyes curved reminded him of Rukia.</p><p>The zanpakuto spirit put the sword away and began to walk around him, looking him up and down. Hitsugaya remained very still, knowing if she changed her mind and decided to run him through with her sword anyway there was nothing he could do about it.</p><p>"Hmm," she said from somewhere behind him. He thought he felt a slight movement of his hair from the back. "Not bad. My Lady has good taste after all. For a moment, I was worried. I'm not sure orange and rain would complement this forest. Could you imagine? All the flowers would melt."</p><p>She came to stand before him again. "I suppose I will let you leave here in one piece. But—" the tip of the sword was suddenly against his neck again. The woman leaned in, her smile deceptively pleasant but her eyes giving the impression that she could see what the inside of his bones looked like. Very quietly, she continued: "I will not hesitate to carve those pretty eyes out of your skull, Captain Hitsugaya, if you give me reason to. One for me and one for my lady."</p><p>Hitsugaya wasn't a person who scared easily. His fears couldn't be found in the hands of the people who could kill him—rather, they were found in the hands of the people who could kill those he cared about. But Sode no Shirayuki still managed to send a chill through him.</p><p>"I won't," he said calmly, and he meant it.</p><p>She considered him for a moment longer before she blinked the threat away from her face and stood back.</p><p>"I will hold you that, Captain," she said, voice friendly for the first time. "Return to my lady." She held out her hand to him. In her palm was a pristine white flower. Able to see it clearly for the first time, he realized that the flower was a perfect fractal made from ice, like a large petalled snowflake.</p><p>Hitsugaya took it from her.</p><p>As quickly as he had come here, he felt himself leaving. It was different from when he left his own inner world—it was more violent, like he was being forcibly pulled out. He blinked and he was back in the chair in Kurotsuchi's laboratory.</p><p>The first thing he became aware of was Rukia's hand in his. He was gripping hers a little tightly and he relaxed his hold but didn't let go.</p><p>Beside him, Rukia was blinking her eyes open. She let out a breath of air like a sigh but it was accompanied by a small smile.</p><p>"Really?" Kurotsuchi was saying, his eyes glued to the monitor. "That was all it took?" He looked over to the two Shinigami. "I assume you are back from each other's inner world?"</p><p>They both nodded but remained quiet, so the captain prodded: "Would you like to share what happened there?"</p><p>"Are the details important?" Hitsugaya asked him.</p><p>"All details are important. But I suppose I have collected enough data…"</p><p>Hitsugaya exchanged a look with Rukia. He turned back to the other captain. "We decline."</p><p>Kurotsuchi pursed his lips. "Very well. But if you do change your mind, my laboratory is always open to willing, and occasionally unwilling, test subjects."</p><p>"Is that all?" Rukia asked, and finally pulled her hand away.</p><p>"Yes, yes, yes," Kurotsuchi waved like they were now overstaying their welcome. "I have enough data to analyse for now. I will compile a report and send it off to the Head Captain. Please de-glove and see yourselves out."</p><p>Outside the Twelfth Division laboratories, Rukia turned to Hitsugaya.</p><p>"What did you see?" she asked straightforwardly.</p><p>Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. "All this time you could barely look at me, now you expect me to just tell you?" he replied, half seriously.</p><p>Rukia frowned and his eyes immediately snapped to that soft <em>v</em> that formed between her eyes.</p><p>"She refuses to tell me," she mumbled to herself. Her sharpened eyes snapped to his. "If you tell me, I won't tell Captain Ukitake you lied about how long I would be away from the office for."</p><p>"I'm not sure you want to be blackmailing a captain, Lieutenant," Hitsugaya said, enjoying the way she bristled at this. "And I didn't lie. If I recall correctly, I merely said that you won't be available for the rest of the day. This is true."</p><p>Rukia's pretty face clouded with confusion.</p><p>Hitsugaya checked the time. "Since Ukitake isn't expecting you back today, your time now belongs to me. Give me your hand."</p><p>Rukia stepped away from him, eyeing him dubiously. "Why?"</p><p>"Because I can't risk you running away again," he said plainly, savouring the way the tips of her ears glowed red at this. Still looking like she thought he wanted to sink his teeth into her—which, while not at the top of his list, wasn't exactly completely <em>off</em> of it either—Rukia allowed him to take her hand. Without the gloves he could feel the mix of callouses, smooth skin and creases of her palm. Hitsugaya flexed his fingers securely around hers. This hand was his, at least for now.</p><p>"This is a little weird," Rukia complained, so quietly he wasn't sure he was meant to hear.</p><p>"On the contrary, I'm quite used to it already," he said and, before she could react to this statement, he pulled her into a shunpo, away from the Twelfth Division and eventually out of Seireitei itself.</p><hr/><p>"This place is?" Rukia asked quietly from beside him.</p><p>"Junrinan," he answered.</p><p>They were walking on clean stone streets in what was clearly a residential area. The houses were neat little structures with sturdy rooves and glass windows. The people about in the street were dressed well, clean, with slippers on their feet. Rukia looked around without saying anything else.</p><p>Hitsugaya didn't give her much by way of an explanation. All he'd said was that there was someone here he came to see.</p><p>He led her down a side street to a single-standing house. It was a very traditional wooden-frame house with shoji doors and a wide wrap-around porch. There were other smaller buildings around, a front garden, and surroundings filled with green trees and shrubs.</p><p>A small old woman was sitting on the front steps, dressed in simple cotton clothes. She had a small woven basket beside her and a canvas sack with what looked like green peas, which she was shelling slowly with her aged hands.</p><p>The entire scene gave off a feeling of serenity.</p><p>"Granny," Hitsugaya called to her when they were close enough, startling Rukia.</p><p>The old woman looked up and—oh! She had eyes exactly like Hitsugaya's, though shadowed with age. The woman's kindly wrinkled face smiled.</p><p>"Tōshirō," she said, in that way only grandparents could. It reminded Rukia of how Granpa Ginrei would call her when he found her loitering outside Byakuya's door sometimes, softly, and with endless patience. Slowly, the woman got to her feet, her movements jerky and stiff. Hitsugaya rushed forward to help her up and, clinging to his arm, she seemed to freeze, eyeing her grandson up and down like she was seeing him clearly for the first time.</p><p>"Tōshirō," she said, her voice surprised, "Did you grow?"</p><p>By Rukia's estimate, Hitsugaya's previous height had been around his grandmother's. Now, he was a good head taller than her.</p><p>Hitsugaya mumbled something to her that Rukia couldn't hear. Then, the woman's green eyes found Rukia. Rukia felt her spine straighten.</p><p>"Who's this pretty girl?" his grandmother asked. Her eyes seemed to take in her shihakusho. "A Shinigami?"</p><p>Rukia gave her a bow. "Kuchiki Rukia, ma'am," she said, exactly like she had been taught at the Kuchiki compound. When she lifted her head, Hitsugaya and his grandmother were looking at her with almost identical twinkling eyes. Rukia flushed.</p><p>"You didn't tell me you were coming," Granny scolded, gathering up her skirts. "And with a guest, too. I would have prepared something for you children to eat. Come, come. Come inside, let me make some tea. Bring those things, Tōshirō."</p><p>Hitsugaya obediently hefted the canvas sack of unshelled peas. Wanting to be useful, Rukia quickly reached for the basket of round peas, all but batting Hitsugaya's hand out of the way. He gave her a very amused look and she hissed, "You could have warned me!"</p><p>"Why?" he asked evenly. "My grandmother doesn't bite."</p><p>Rukia jerked her head away from him and followed the woman into the house.</p><p>Around a pot of orange peel tea, Rukia derived that Hitsugaya visited his grandmother often, at least once every two months. It went without saying that he hadn't been able to recently, but Granny seemed accustomed to this, as it was bound to have happened a few times in Hitsugaya's career as a captain.</p><p>Hitsugaya had brought her several gifts from Seireitei (including one or two of the teas she had left in his cupboard, she was beyond gratified to see) and a small paper envelope Rukia politely ignored. By the way Granny was piling this and that onto the table by Hitsugaya's elbow, it was clear that they would be taking back a few gifts with them as well.</p><p>"This is for Momo-chan," Granny said, sliding over a small, doily-looking piece of cloth Rukia realized was what the girl usually had tied over her bun.</p><p>Hitsugaya nudged it back. "You can give it to her yourself," he said. "She has a few days off coming up, she'll come visit you."</p><p>"What about Rangiku-san? Neighbour Jiro recently gave me some moonshine, I saved a bottle for her."</p><p>"She really doesn't need it," Hitsugaya said exasperatedly.</p><p>"She won't forgive you if you leave it," Rukia whispered to him while Granny retrieved it from the other room.</p><p>"What she doesn't know can't hurt her."</p><p>"I'd tell her."</p><p>Hitsugaya frowned at her and Rukia looked back at him innocently. "If you had to choose between me and Matsumoto who would you choose?" he asked her suddenly. His tone was teasing but his eyes were oddly serious.</p><p>Rukia blinked at him for a moment. Then she gave him a dimpled smile. "Rangiku-san," she answered sweetly.</p><p>Granny came back into the room and put the bottle on the table. Reluctantly, Hitsugaya accepted it.</p><p>Hitsugaya's grandmother didn't have enough spiritual energy to require food, but she kept a hearty stock of it around for when Hitsugaya, or Momo, or Rangiku visited her. She made them dinner and seemed content to listen to Hitsugaya and Rukia talk about their lives in Seireitei. Rukia told her about her lieutenant's exam, and her brother, and her friends in the Human World. The woman seemed happy to listen to the young people talk. Rukia felt a pang at the thought that she now lived in this house alone. At some point, when the sun began to set, Rukia excused herself to sit outside on the porch, which Hitsugaya knew was to give him a few moments alone with his grandmother before they left.</p><p>"You must tell me what Rukia-chan likes to eat," his grandmother said casually. "So I can be prepared for when she next comes to visit."</p><p>"Rice dumplings," he said, "Cucumber, and eggs."</p><p>His grandmother nodded.</p><p>Sometime later, Hitsugaya slid the door open and found Rukia sitting outside. He closed the door, behind which his grandmother had insisted on cleaning up by herself, and joined her, leaving only a small amount of space between them.</p><p>The dusk was painting the sky pretty warm colours that bled onto Rukia's pale skin, giving her eyes an opaque, almost jewel-like shine. It was hard to read the expression in them but she was looking at him firmly.</p><p>"Why did you bring me here?"</p><p>"Because I wanted to."</p><p>Matsumoto had suggested a romantic dinner in a restaurant somewhere, or a moonlit walk along the canal, or something like that. But in Hitsugaya's mind, he and Rukia had already done all of that. He wanted to do something that was more special, more personal. As much as Matsumoto liked his grandmother, she had felt taking Rukia along on his routine visit would come across as an afterthought. But Hitsugaya knew that Rukia couldn't be impressed with fancy dinners and stereotypical romanticisms, and even if she enjoyed that kind of thing, there would be time for it later. He had wanted to bring her closer into his life. His family wasn't much but he had wanted her to know that he trusted her with it. This was the most sincere thing he could do.</p><p>He said all of this to her and she listened quietly. When he was done, she said with a smile, "Did you have to basically kidnap me, though?"</p><p>"You weren't complaining before."</p><p>"I didn't want your grandmother to know how many lines you crossed, dragging me here without even telling me. She obviously thinks very highly of you."</p><p>"Why wouldn't she?" he deadpanned.</p><p>"Does she…know?" Rukia asked hesitantly.</p><p>"I've never brought anyone to see her before," he told her simply, "Much less a girl. She probably already figured it out."</p><p>"Oh," Rukia blushed. "Hyorinmaru said you had something to tell me," she said. "Earlier, that's what he told me. You haven't actually said it yet, though."</p><p>Hitsugaya turned his head to look at her. Even when sitting, his head was above hers. She was looking up at him expectantly, and her eyes told him plainly he wouldn't be let out of this easily.</p><p>He had rehearsed, with Matsumoto's help, what to say. The woman wasn't good at paperwork but she was good at these things, but everything she had said flew out of his mind when his eyes found the corner of her lip that Rukia was pulling on with her teeth in apparent nervousness.</p><p>He had misled Rukia and Captain Ukitake to bring her here, hadn't told anyone where he was taking her (except for Matsumoto, who had been sworn to secrecy) and had pretty much kept her in the dark about the whole thing, all for the sake of this one moment to tell her how he felt.</p><p>He figured the line not to be crossed was already somewhere behind him. One more step couldn't hurt.</p><p>Hitsugaya's hand found hers where it rested on the step between them. Rukia's eyes flickered down there instinctively, only to snap back up when his head swept down. He caught sight of how they widened and how her mouth, very helpfully, dropped open ever so slightly.</p><p>It was somewhat amusing how she gave a small gasp right before his lips touched hers, and her fingers curled tightly in his hand. Hitsugaya wasn't extensively experienced at kissing, despite Matsumoto's somewhat desperate but short-lived attempts to lecture him on it, but he clearly had more experience than Rukia. She froze initially, but then relaxed, tilting her head willingly when his hand came up to hold her chin.</p><p>This angle of sitting side by side on the steps wasn't comfortable and Hitsugaya ended up leaning forward until Rukia's back was pressed against the wooden railing. One of her hands had to come up to hold onto the lapels of his shihakusho to leverage herself, the backs of her cool fingers brushing against his skin. There was some movement against his back, which he realized was her wrapping her other arm around him, probably to steady herself, but which sent a jolt up the length of his spine.</p><p>He reciprocated, putting his arm between her and the railing, splaying his fingers up against her sharp shoulder blade. His thumb brushed gently against the edge of her lower lip and then he pulled back, putting some distance between their faces.</p><p>"Will that do?" he asked.</p><p>Rukia's expression was obviously shocked, but, accurately reading the teasing in his question, her brow furrowed, mouth downturning into a pout. The fingers of her hand laying against his spine pinched him brutally and he chuckled, pulling her back up into a sitting position before letting go of her.</p><p>The sun had well set by now and there were only stars in the sky.</p><p>"What do we do now?" Rukia asked him quietly when she could find her voice again.</p><p>"Date, according to Matsumoto," he replied naturally, "But we can do whatever you want or don't want to do."</p><p>She seemed to think about it.</p><p>"Tōshirō," she said.</p><p>He raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"</p><p>"No," Rukia shook her head. "I want to call you Tōshirō. At least in private."</p><p>Hitsugaya smiled.</p><p>"And I want to come with you when you visit Granny again."</p><p>"I'm sure she'd like that."</p><p>"And I get to come see you at your office whenever I like."</p><p>"You have a lot of demands."</p><p>"And you have to break the news to Nii-sama."</p><p>"That's—" Hitsugaya gave her a flat look, "—something we should both do."</p><p>"I'll give him a heads up," she said cheekily. "But after that, you're on your own."</p><p>"Your brother might not approve of me," he pointed out.</p><p>"He will," she said confidently. "He complained to Renji and Captain Ukitake, but if he doesn't tell me directly, it means he doesn't really mind."</p><p>"I'll have to take your word for it," he mumbled, having already considered he would have to face off with Captain Kuchiki at some point. "Anything else?"</p><p>Rukia thought about it. "I still want you to say it," she said at last, not very serious.</p><p>"Alright."</p><p>Hitsugaya kissed her again but it was very short-lived this time because Rukia bubbled up with laughter.</p><p>When they were leaving, he handed her a small bag of dried orange peels. "My grandmother makes this from her own oranges," he said. "When I was young, I used to help her. This is for what you left in my cupboard. When did you do that, by the way?"</p><p>Rukia took the bag of orange peel and held it carefully.</p><p>"The day before the exam," she replied. "Lieutenant Matsumoto let me in when you were out. Didn't she tell you? I suppose she could have forgotten."</p><p>"Unlikely," Hitsugaya said wryly, unable to believe Matsumoto could forget such a thing. It was more likely that she had wanted him to find it himself. He thought back to how she had frowned at him before she left to join the other lieutenants at the exam and figured it was because of this. He eyed the girl before him, who was looking into the bag with interest.</p><p>"There was no cherry blossom this time," he stated, curious.</p><p>Rukia blinked up at him. "Oh? Oh, right. You didn't seem to like it, so I told Orihime not to include it."</p><p>Hitsugaya realized that she was referring to the letter she had written for Hirako to take to the Human World. That sack of Christmas gifts must have included the boxes of tea now sitting in his cupboard.</p><p>"It was a little sweet," he said, still somewhat disappointed. "But that doesn't mean that I didn't like it."</p><p>The girl looked amused. "Duly noted, I'll remember that next time."</p><p>And yet still, Hitsugaya was even more displeased with this statement.</p><p>Granny bid them a safe return, sweetly promising Rukia that she would make her rice dumplings the next time she saw her. Hitsugaya secured his hold on Rukia's hand and pulled her out into the cool night. "Still weird?" he asked, referring to their joined hands.</p><p>"I'll get used to it," Rukia mumbled, but gave his hand a squeeze.</p><p>Hitsugaya took her all the way back to the Thirteenth Division barracks. At her door he was reluctant to let go of her hand. Rukia tried to, exasperatedly, pull away, but the more she tugged, the more he resisted, until she pulled so hard that she bounced back against him.</p><p>Hitsugaya chuckled and took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her. "Come to my office tomorrow to receive Kurotsuchi's report," he said to her.</p><p>"Are you worried?" she asked, voice muffled by his chest.</p><p>"No," he said simply.</p><p>"Me neither." Rukia peeled away from him. "Shirayuki seems not to mind."</p><p>Which was reassuring for Hitsugaya, since the zanpakuto spirit had threatened to carve his eyes out for her mistress, which he could tell Sode no Shirayuki had failed to mention to Rukia. He supposed it would put him in Shirayuki's good graces if he said nothing about it as well.</p><p>"Kurotsuchi would have told us if there was something to be worried about," he said.</p><p>"I suppose." Rukia gave him a smile that was somewhat like a grimace. "Captain Ukitake is going to tell me I told you so tomorrow."</p><p>"Would you like me to be there?" Hitsugaya asked, half serious, half playful.</p><p>She scoffed and pushed away from him. "I can handle a little teasing," she said, reaching for her door.</p><p>"Good, because you'll also have to deal with Matsumoto tomorrow too," he replied, a little wry. "It might be the first time in history she gets to the office before me."</p><p>"No, thank you," Rukia said cheerfully. "Rangiku is all yours." She blew him a kiss and slipped inside. The door shut with a quiet but firm click.</p><p>Hitsugaya was a little taken aback at first. He was rather looking forward to a farewell kiss. But the thought that he would be seeing her tomorrow kept the smile on his face.</p><p>"Goodnight Rukia," he said quietly to her closed door before he turned and shunpo'd away.</p><hr/><p> </p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The new lieutenants are inaugurated and Rukia gifts her scarf</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  <em>But as she stepped toward the gate, black hell butterfly fluttering around her head, he wanted to catch the little hand that had come to fit so comfortably in his hold, and keep her there. </em>
</p><hr/><p>The next week went better than Rukia expected it to. Despite telling him not to, Hitsugaya still showed up at Ukitake's office the next morning. The elder captain took one look at the two of them standing outside his office, Rukia lightly scolding Hitsugaya for coming and Hitsugaya looking like he did not regret it at all, and quickly put two and two together.</p><p>He didn't tell Rukia <em>I told you so</em>, but he came very close, congratulating the new couple and allowing Hitsugaya to take Rukia back to the Tenth Division for Kurotsuchi's report.</p><p>Like Hitsugaya had predicted, Matsumoto was there waiting for them, bright eyed and bushy-tailed. Somewhere between the Thirteenth and Tenth Divisions, Hitsugaya had taken Rukia's hand. Matsumoto's eyes immediately dropped to this when they came through the door, and her smiling face became teasing, but with a touch of softness.</p><p>Despite their expectations, Matsumoto didn't seem that interested in teasing them, and instead pulled Rukia onto the sofa with her to learn about what had happened on their date the night before, which the girl rather bashfully recounted, but with a slightly more innocent version.</p><p>Rangiku Matsumoto wasn't so easily fooled, but before she could prod the blushing girl further, Nemu showed up with Kurotsuchi's report.</p><p>Taking his time to read through it, Captain Hitsugaya let them know what the Twelfth Division's captain's conclusions were:</p><p>The ability of Hitsugaya and Rukia to enter each other's inner world was not, in fact, a freak accident brought on by Kurotsuchi's suppressant. It was actually due to the fact that their reiatsu happened to be almost eighty-nine percent compatible, the highest similarity on record in Seireitei, and the suppressant had merely been a vessel that provided a link between them. It went without saying that this was rather rare. Hitsugaya recalled that a similar test had been done on him and Kusaka and it hadn't been this high. Kurotsuchi had concluded that, while the composition, level, and signatures of their reiatsu were markedly different, it was basically made of the same stuff. Kurotsuchi went on to speculate that the mixing of their inner worlds had something to do with the origin of their zanpakuto spirits' power, which was an area that required more research and he looked forward to experimenting with this more, if they would be so kind. As for the fact that their zanpakuto's did not appear with them when they visited the other's mind, Kurotsuchi merely informed them that, similar to two Shinigami not being allowed to possess the same zanpakuto spirit, two zanpakuto spirits could not exist within the same mind. It was as simple as that.</p><p>There was no real danger to this connection between them but likewise, there was no real benefit either, except for the production of offspring, which were more likely to be born with high spiritual pressure and similar powers. Kurotsuchi therefore recommended that, for the benefit of Soul Society and for the sake of science, they should have as many offspring as possible.</p><p>With this somewhat presumptuous conclusion (and Matsumoto's very cheerful suggestions that she would leave them be if they wanted to get a start on it), Hitsugaya closed the report and concurred with Rukia that they were both satisfied with this explanation.</p><hr/><p>Renji figured things out before Rukia had the opportunity to tell him. Rukia met him for lunch once and he only needed to look at her for a few moments before he flatly, but sincerely, congratulated her. Rukia began to wonder if there was some sort of sign taped to her back announcing it or something. According to Renji, there was—it was how happy she obviously was.</p><p>Rukia figured between Hitsugaya and becoming a lieutenant, she was happier than she had been in a while.</p><p>Matsumoto had taken it upon herself to tell Momo, which Hitsugaya warned Rukia was more likely for gossip than anything else, so by the time the lieutenant inauguration came around, the only other important person left to tell was Byakuya.</p><p>Her Nii-sama probably wouldn't be too pleased to be the last to know but, even though she had promised Hitsugaya she would soften her brother up beforehand, Byakuya had been oddly absent recently. Even Renji couldn't tell her much other than that his captain had been meeting with the Head Captain.</p><p>All this to say, on the day of the inauguration, Rukia found she would have to stand in the same room with both Hitsugaya and Byakuya, and she was almost positive her face would give it away somehow.</p><p>Before the ceremony, the new lieutenants were presented with their armbands. Kaien's armband had been returned to his family after his death so Rukia was presented with a new one, as was Kuna, since Hisagi was still wearing the original. Momo received her old one, which had been unceremoniously stripped from her more than a year before.</p><p>Noticing the other girl's teary eyes, Rukia put a hand on her shoulder, wanting to comfort her, at least until Momo casually called her <em>sister-in-law</em>, much to the confusion of Kuna.</p><p>So Rukia's cheeks were rather red as she walked between the other captains and lieutenants to take her place behind Ukitake. The odd numbered divisions stood opposite the even numbered ones and Byakuya and Hitsugaya were separated by only Kyoraku, so Rukia had a clear view of both of them.</p><p>Her brother gave her a reassuring nod and then looked away, obviously bored now that Rukia had completed her part. Hitsugaya's eyes found hers and stayed, his face melting into the barest smile. Somewhere down the line, Hirako made a sound that was clearly a snicker poorly covered by a cough.</p><p>Head Captain Yamamoto gave a droning speech that was blessedly short and then it was all over. A few captains lingered around, giving their congratulations to the new lieutenants. Rukia was falling into a comfortable conversation with Kyoraku and Nanao when, from the corner of her eyes, she detected Hitsugaya and Byakuya together.</p><p>A weird kind of feeling settled into her stomach. It wasn't fear, but rather a kind of anxiousness. On the one hand, she had wanted to personally make Byakuya aware of her and Hitsugaya's relationship because she felt that Byakuya deserved to hear it from her and not someone else. On the other hand, even though she didn't really mind Hitsugaya breaking the news to her brother, she didn't want Hitsugaya to bear the brunt of whatever Byakuya's reaction was going to be.</p><p>Before she could excuse herself and hurry over there, they both left the room. Rukia deflated with relief but also petulance. The two most important men in her life hadn't even hung around to talk to her.</p><p>Eventually, Yamamoto banged his cane on the ground a few times to persuade his officers, whom he claimed were avoiding their work now, to leave.</p><p>This apparently only applied to the remaining captains, for no sooner had Yamamoto made this order when Nanao, receiving some kind of secret signal from Matsumoto, put a respectful but firm hand on Rukia's shoulder and began to nudge her in a particular direction.</p><p>Kyoraku made some comment about being left out, which Nanao ignored.</p><p>"Lieutenant Ise?" Rukia inquired. The other lieutenants were also herding the new lieutenants down a corridor.</p><p>"You'll see," was all Nanao replied.</p><p>Rukia exchanged a confused look with Kuna but Momo looked amused and resigned.</p><p>They were led to a room that had been lazily decorated. All the celebratory effort had been clearly focused on the table of sake and other alcohol and food piled up in one corner. It was a wide room, similar to the one they had just left, with a long conference table and some sofas for lounging around. Painted on the walls behind each chair at the table were the flower symbols of each division.</p><p>All the lieutenants were there. Rukia didn't think she had ever seen thirteen lieutenants in one room before. Even when they had had lieutenants meetings before, this wouldn't have been possible with the Thirteenth Lieutenant's seat vacant. Occasionally, Sentaro or Kiyone would attend those meetings but only if they were important and even then they weren't allowed to wear the armband or hang around for long.</p><p>Some lieutenants made a beeline for the alcohol while some took their respective seats.</p><p>"You're there," Nanao said to her, pointing at the chair that belonged to the Thirteenth Division. They did not seem to be arranged in any logical order and only had the division's symbol to guide them. Later, Rukia would learn that this was because, long ago when they had first designated this room as the Lieutenant's Lounge, the then lieutenants had wanted to sit near the other lieutenants that they liked, and since no one appeared to care much about the order, it had remained that way.</p><p>Rukia somewhat self-consciously took her seat, right between Nemu and Yachiru, the former of which was sitting demurely and the latter of which was hanging over Omaeda's head, secured by a fist in his hair, and loudly demanding that he give up the rice cake they were fighting over.</p><p>Matsumoto happened to be opposite Rukia and next to Momo. She did go for the alcohol, but only to secure a bottle before returning to her place at the table.</p><p>She clapped her hands loudly, drawing everyone's attention.</p><p>"Today, we welcome three people to our ranks," she loudly announced, in a theatrically exaggerated voice.</p><p>She put her hand on top of Momo's bun: "The persevering Hinamori Momo—"</p><p>There was a cheerful round of applause. Momo gave an abashed smile but seemed pleased nevertheless.</p><p>"The zesty Kuna Mashiro—" Matsumoto went on, tipping her bottle of sake to Kuna, who was furthest away from her. More applause. The Visored lieutenant preened with a toothy grin.</p><p>"And—" Rukia, who had been expecting it, still straightened her spine against the back of her chair. "—the lovely Kuchiki Rukia."</p><p>Rukia took her applause with some small bobs of her head, somewhat embarrassed that Matsumoto had described her as<em> lovely</em>.</p><p>"Today, you have been inducted into the Gotei Thirteen as lieutenants for your divisions," Matsumoto went on, her demeanour suddenly serious. "But to be accepted by us tenured lieutenants, there is one more thing you have to do. Lieutenant Kusajishi! The orders!"</p><p>Yachiru, who had stuffed her mouth with what looked like every type of food available, bounded into her seat next to Rukia.</p><p>"Here, Boobies," she said around her mouthful, sliding what looked like a very sticky piece of paper across the table.</p><p>Matsumoto took it with a face but still began to open it up. Beside her, Momo gave a long suffering sigh.</p><p>"Do I need to do this again?" she asked.</p><p>"That's a good question, Hinamori-fukutaicho," Isane mused from across the table. "After all, you have done it before."</p><p>"It's different every time," Renji said casually. "I think it's only fair to do it again. Is it good this year, Rangiku?"</p><p>Matsumoto looked over the piece of paper and gave a smile that made Rukia very uneasy.</p><p>But surprisingly, she didn't reply. Instead, she looked around the table and suggested, "Let's take a vote. Do we think Momo should do it again? I'll remind you it'll be one less person to share the sake with."</p><p>"Let Bun-chan do it!" Yachiru eagerly assented.</p><p>"Agreed," Hisagi quickly seconded.</p><p>A few more heads around the table nodded, clearly very willing to subject Momo to whatever was written on the paper if it meant more food and alcohol for themselves. Matsumoto quickly took a count and turned back to Momo.</p><p>"Looks like you're doing it again, Momo," she said, not the least bit sorry.</p><p>Momo just gave a resigned smile.</p><p>"What are the orders, Lieutenant Matsumoto?" Kira asked.</p><p>Dramatically, Matsumoto read off the piece of paper: "All new lieutenants must steal a captain's haori. The haori may belong to any captain other than their own. The haori cannot be burrowed, asked for, bargained with, or promised returned. It must be stolen. The lieutenant is not allowed to explain why they are stealing it, or give any explanation at all. It must be stolen before all the sake in the Lieutenant's Lounge is consumed. Extra bragging rights will be awarded to any lieutenants who manage to steal haoris belonging to the captains from Divisions Two, Four, Six, Ten, Eleven and Twelve. Any lieutenant who manages to steal the haori belonging to Head Captain Yamamoto will be given full domain over the sake retained for lieutenants' celebratory matters, provided that they return alive. Special rules are as follows: in addition to not being allowed to return with their own captain's haori, Lieutenant Hinamori will also not be allowed to return with the haori belonging to Captain Hitsugaya, Lieutenant Kuchiki will not be allowed to return with the haori belonging to <em>Captain</em> Kuchiki, and Lieutenant Kuna will not be allowed to return with the haoris belonging to any of the Visored captains. Once the new lieutenants have completed this task, they will be fully recognized as lieutenants of the Gotei Thirteen by the Lieutenant's Lounge."</p><p>Matsumoto put down the piece of paper with a broad smile. "All understood?"</p><p>Rukia looked around at her fellow lieutenants—Momo seemed to be in deep thought and Kuna was already ready to leave—and nodded.</p><p>Matsumoto popped the cap off her sake. "Off you go then!"</p><p>As the three lieutenants took off in a cloud of dust and shunpo, Matsumoto turned back to the others at the table. She lifted her bottle in a toast.</p><p>"Let's drink!"</p><hr/><p>On the list of fellow captains with whom Hitsugaya thought he had the least in common with, Captain Kuchiki was near the top. In the younger captain's mind, the only thing they could concur on was Rukia, and that development had been rather recent.</p><p>So he was a bit surprised when they crossed paths at the lieutenants' inauguration and both said, at the same time:</p><p>"Captain Hitsugaya, I would like to have a word—"</p><p>"Captain Kuchiki, if you have a moment to spare—"</p><p>A minute of silence had passed between them.</p><p>"My office is closer, we can continue this conversation there," Byakuya had eventually said.</p><p>At Byakuya's office, Hitsugaya waited for the other captain to speak.</p><p>"Speak first, Captain Hitsugaya, I assume what you want to discuss has something to do with my sister."</p><p>"Very astute," Hitsugaya said, somewhat dryly. He suddenly wondered why he hadn't waited for Rukia to begin this conversation with Captain Kuchiki.</p><p>"Rukia and I are dating," he said, without inflection.</p><p>To the untrained eye, Byakuya didn't appear to change much at this statement. But Hitsugaya had been watching his face clearly and saw the way the muscles in his face instantly went taut and how his dark eyes darkened some more.</p><p>"Members of the Kuchiki family do not date," Byakuya said coldly and with disdain. "Eligible members will court, and with the intention of marriage in mind." Byakuya's eyes clearly challenged Hitsugaya: "I do not know what your intentions with Rukia are, but if you do not plan to wed her, then we do not need to be having this conversation."</p><p>"It's too early to be talking about marriage," Hitsugaya said and, seeing the explicit anger erupt in the other's eyes, added: "But that doesn't mean I don't plan to."</p><p>Byakuya did not seem mollified by this.</p><p>"If you intend to court Rukia, it should be with the intention to marry her. I am not so stringent as to demand that it be rushed but my sister does not deserve to be with someone without at least that level of commitment to her."</p><p>Hitsugaya frowned. "I didn't decide to pursue Rukia with lukewarm commitment," he said calmly. "And I don't plan on separating from her either. If this leads to marriage one day then so be it. If it doesn't, then that will be between Rukia and I. I take it marriage is important to your noble lineage or whatever, but to me, it's a non-issue. Ultimately, it will be Rukia's decision."</p><p>Hitsugaya truly believed this. Marriage, to him, was just a bit of legality, and in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't that important. He wasn't sure how Rukia felt about marriage, if she aspired to it, but Hitsugaya found that, either way, he would be fine with it. He would willingly put that decision in Rukia's hands because he understood that, in the end, she had a responsibility to her family, and in the give and take of relationships, he was not willing to make this an issue between them if it meant Rukia could be a little more at ease with the rest of the Kuchikis.</p><p>Byakuya seemed a little surprised at this, but Hitsugaya's consideration of Rukia seemed to have won him some points with the Sixth Division's captain.</p><p>"The Kuchiki family will not be pleased with this arrangement," Byakuya warned him, tone somewhat stern. "Or with you and your attitude to their established customs."</p><p>"How the Kuchiki family feels about me is not my concern," Hitsugaya said, as plainly as he could manage. "The only person's opinion who Rukia would care about is yours. So your opinion is the only one I will consider. And even then, I am willing to prove you wrong if I need to."</p><p>Byakuya held his gaze for a while. The two were at something like a standoff. Byakuya was looking at him with disapproval and condescension but Hitsugaya's entire being radiated stubbornness and challenge. One had to give first and it was Byakuya.</p><p>The elder captain leaned back in his chair with a sigh. His relaxed shoulders were the closest to slouched Hitsugaya had ever seen.</p><p>"Rukia has always done her best to adhere to the family rules," he said, voice a little tired.</p><p>Hitsugaya couldn't help the way his eyebrow rose at this but he listened to the other man quietly.</p><p>"Most of the rules are not worth fighting, and ultimately, they have their purposes. Despite this, I have always planned to have Rukia choose who she wishes to marry. If that is you, then—" though Byakuya looked more resigned than eager, his voice had a quality Hitsugaya chose to describe as willing acceptance, "—I will support her decision."</p><p>"Thank you," Hitsugaya replied, simply, but sincere and with maybe a bit of reverence. This man was the most important person in Rukia's life, and though marriage was still very much a distant thought and far off, one day, he might be Hitsugaya's brother-in-law.</p><p>"Of course, if you cause my sister any undue pain, I will be forced to recant my stance on this."</p><p>"Of course."</p><p>"And I will still be speaking to her on the matter."</p><p>"Looks like you're about to have that opportunity," Hitsugaya frowned, getting to his feet and turning with Byakuya to look at the office door. Not two seconds later did they swing open, revealing a rather harried and out of breath Rukia.</p><p>"Brother," she gasped out a greeting with an uncharacteristically sloppy bow. "And Captain Hitsugaya. My apologies."</p><p>"Rukia," Byakuya said, voice scolding, "What is the meaning of this?"</p><p>Rukia maintained her bow, upper body almost parallel to the floor. "I apologize for barging in, nii-sama, but I am on an urgent and time-sensitive assignment. Please allow me to complete it before I explain."</p><p>The two men looked at her, surprised. She had only been inaugurated as a lieutenant not even a half hour ago. What assignment could she possibly have?</p><p>"Very well," Byakuya nodded at her.</p><p>Rukia straightened up, met her brother's eyes and muttered, "Thank you." Then she swung around to face Hitsugaya, face set in sudden determination. She pointed a finger at him. "Don't move!" she ordered, her voice so authoritative that even Byakuya was rendered speechless. Before they could recover, Rukia closed the distance between her and Hitsugaya.</p><p>For a moment, Hitsugaya thought he was going to be kissed. He didn't have the time to think why or really question this thought or how he felt about it, but when he suddenly felt her hands on him, he thought maybe he had been right. It took a moment more for him to realize that Rukia's hands were moving very quickly and very specifically, and they didn't feel amorous in the slightest.</p><p>It should have been a little distressing how quickly and deftly she was able to pull his haori off of him, but it was all done in such a blur and short space of time that Rukia had given them a quick <em>Sorry!</em> and disappeared from the office before either Hitsugaya or Byakuya could blink.</p><p>A weird kind of silence was left in the room.</p><p>Hitsugaya stood, wearing only a shihakusho for the first time since he'd become a captain, and Byakuya sat, as stone faced as always but with a flavour or surprise and amusement, both staring at the door through which they hadn't even seen Rukia leave but had only heard the sound of the wood slamming closed.</p><p>The silence was broken by Hitsugaya's deadpan voice:</p><p>"Were you hazed as a lieutenant?"</p><p>"No, that tradition started with <em>your</em> lieutenant, I believe, years after I had left the position."</p><p>"I wonder if I will be seeing that haori again."</p><p>"Unlikely."</p><p>"Requesting a new one is such a pain."</p><p>"I'll get the paperwork."</p><hr/><p>By the time Rukia returned to the lounge, the alcohol hadn't yet completely disappeared, but it was close. Momo was already there, Captain Otoribashi's haori neatly folded before her on the table. She gave Rukia a knowing smile, eye easily catching the Tenth Division's symbol on the haori in her hands. Rukia flushed but stuck her tongue out at her, quickly folded the garment, and retook her place at the table.</p><p>Perhaps she should have expected it, but the other lieutenants were mostly drunk now, and some had left. Kira, Hisagi and Matsumoto were laid across the table in a pile from which snoring emerged. Yachiru had holed up under the table with the remainder of the food, and was in what appeared to be a food coma, round little belly upturned to the ceiling.</p><p>The only functioning lieutenant still around was Nanao, who came by to inspect the haoris.</p><p>"Good," she said to Momo. Her fingers pinched the material. "Still quite new isn't it? Less than a year. Not even a rip in it so far. This is an excellent find, Lieutenant Hinamori. How did you manage it?"</p><p>"Captain Otoribashi was playing his guitar," Momo explained. "I convinced him that he would look more like the singer he admired from his favourite band if he wore just his shihakusho. When he took it off, I stole it and came back here."</p><p>"Very clever," Nanao commented. "We appreciate your efforts."</p><p>The bespectacled lieutenant made her way over to Rukia. Reflexively, the little Shinigami wanted to shield the haori from her. She held her hands tightly in her lap to prevent herself from doing this.</p><p>"My, this is Captain Hitsugaya's haori," Nanao said, surprised. "How did manage to steal this, Lieutenant Kuchiki?"</p><p>Rukia's neck became a little warm. "I took it off of him," she said truthfully, ignoring the way Momo smirked from across the table.</p><p>"And he just let you?" Nanao sounded incredulous.</p><p>Rukia shrugged without answering.</p><p>"Well, I suppose I must award you extra bragging rights for this, according to Lieutenant Kusajishi's rules," Nanao allowed. "Though I'm not sure this is something you should go around bragging about. Very well. Well done, Lieutenant Kuchiki. Now, we just have to wait for Lieutenant Kuna." And she threw a somewhat worried look at the last bottle of sake that was sitting between Matsumoto's and Kira's hands. It was only a matter of time before one of them became roused enough to snatch it up.</p><p>However, a few minutes later, Kuna reappeared, clearly irritated and clutching Kyoraku's haori like she wanted to rip it in two.</p><p>"Here!" she tossed it unceremoniously onto the table in a heap, where Nanao silently picked it up and folded it neatly.</p><p>"That captain of yours has to be the most maddening person to have ever lived," Kuna said to Nanao. "And I used to live with Shinji!"</p><p>And really, Nanao couldn't deny this.</p><p>It would come out later that Kuna had believed she could easily steal the Eight Division's captain's haori because, at the time, he was sleeping soundly on the floor. But Captain Kyoraku wasn't so defenceless. He had waited until she had almost taken it off of him, along with his kimono, before he caught her, having been well aware of her presence all this time.</p><p>A short scuffle, some laughter and choice words later, Kyoraku had correctly guessed what was going on, which, technically, wasn't against the rules.</p><p>He had promised to gift it to her, if she wanted it so much, but she had to sit through a few rounds of tea with the man, who was clearly stretching the time out to keep her on edge until she just couldn't take it anymore. Knowing that she was cutting it close to time, Kuna had tossed her cup of tea away, startling Kyoraku enough that she was able to snatch the haori he had temptingly laid between them, and book it back to the lounge. Consequently, the haori was now stained with tea and rather crumpled.</p><p>Anyway, Nanao had been satisfied with the results and had promised she would vouch they had completed their task to the others when they were sober enough. As for what to do with the haoris, it was up to them—she would be returning Kyoraku's since Kuna wanted nothing more to do with it or the man.</p><p>Momo also promised to return hers, as thanks to Otoribashi for the help he had given her before.</p><p>Rukia felt compelled to return Hitsugaya's as well, though she had been rather hoping to keep it. You see, Hitsugaya had been wearing this haori since he had become a captain. It was worn out, with small tears and rips along the hem from fast-paced shunpo and ink stains and marks that could no longer be removed. It had lost all of its stiffness, washed so many times that it was now soft and pliable, like a comfortable blanket more than an outer coat.</p><p>More than this, it smelt like the captain. There was still some trace of the soap that had been used when it was washed but mostly it smelt like him, that familiar sent she had gotten used to when she sat in his office.</p><p>Up until she took it home and hung it up on the back of her door, she was still telling herself that she would return it.</p><p>But.</p><p>This haori was already so old, and Hitsugaya had recently outgrown it anyway, so it wouldn't hurt for him to get a new one, right? And with a new one, he wouldn't need this old one, right? So, it wouldn't matter if she kept it, right?</p><p>Rukia brushed the back of her hand against the hanging garment. There was still some of Hitsugaya's reiatsu in the weave, so it felt cool against her skin. It was probably still a long way off before she would have one of these of her own, and that would probably only happen if Ukitake retired, and she didn't really like that thought much.</p><p>Maybe…she wouldn't return it after all.</p><p>"Do thieves usually casually display their stolen goods like this?"</p><p>With a squeak, Rukia spun around, her hands instinctively coming up to clutch at the opening of her sleeping kimono to make sure it was properly closed. It was, which was good, because Captain Hitsugaya was letting himself into her room through her window. Without his haori, he blended into the darkness outside, but the one lamp in the room did a good job of highlighting his face.</p><p>"Captain Hitsugaya!" she exclaimed, voice a touch too high. "What are you doing here?"</p><p>He took his time to look around her room with open curiosity before he answered. Rukia was suddenly very glad she was a relatively tidy person and that she had been too busy recently to have really made a mess anyway.</p><p>"I came to retrieve my haori," he said at last.</p><p>"Oh." Rukia found herself moving her body to hide the haori behind her. "That wasn't in the rules."</p><p>Hitsugaya was looking at her, amused. "And what are these rules, Lieutenant Kuchiki?"</p><p>Something about the way he said <em>Lieutenant Kuchiki</em> was several levels above his normal casual teasing.</p><p>Rukia stuck her chin out and primly told him, "I stole it, so it's mine now."</p><p>"That's not how ownership works, Rukia," he said. He was keeping a respectable distance between them but his eyes were clearly telling her he wanted to come closer.</p><p>Rukia pressed her back against the haori. "Steal it back, then."</p><p>He was before her in a second. To Hitsugaya's credit, he did try to reach for the haori, but he only did so half-heartedly, because Rukia kept shifting her body to block him and his wandering hands kept bumping into her sides. This caused the girl to giggle.</p><p>"It's a crime to steal a captain's haori," he murmured, his lips level with the fringe of her hair.</p><p>"Yes, I assume that's why Rangiku and Lieutenant Kusajishi made us do it," Rukia replied, a little breathless from trying to hold in her laughter. Her lieutenant's quarters were a bit isolated from the rest of the squad, but anyone could be wondering around—case in point, the person before her right now.</p><p>Hitsugaya pressed his hands flat against the door on either side of her.</p><p>"I spoke to your brother," he said.</p><p>Rukia tilted her head back, her nose brushing against the underside of the captain's jaw. She was smart enough to know that it must have gone pretty well, if Hitsugaya had been confident enough to climb through her window unannounced. But something seemed to be on his mind anyway, so Rukia stabbed a well-aimed finger into his side.</p><p>He grunted, catching her hand swiftly.</p><p>"What's wrong?" she whispered, now wishing she had taken the time to find her brother before retiring for the night.</p><p>"He isn't entirely pleased," he admitted. "But he's accepting of us, for now."</p><p>"What did he say?" Rukia asked, curious as to what kind of conversation they had had.</p><p>Hitsugaya pushed away from the door and her, putting some space between them. His fingers were wrapped loosely around her wrist, the pad of his thumb pressed into the delicate juncture of her pulse. It was a little fast but oddly comforting.</p><p>"He expects us to get married," he said plainly. "Not right away, but eventually."</p><p>Rukia blinked at him. It became clear to Hitsugaya then that the girl had never thought about marriage after all.</p><p>"Kind of early to be talking about marriage, don't you think?" she said.</p><p>"Tell your brother that," he replied, but he was pleased to know that he and Rukia were on the same page at least.</p><p>"Nii-sama faces a lot of pressure to remarry," Rukia said thoughtfully. "I think he was just trying to warn you." She gave him a somewhat concerned look. "Do you not want to be married?"</p><p>In the darkened room, Rukia's eyes reflected the lamplight like black mirrors. They were hard to read, but Hitsugaya had already learned what the furrows in her brow and the twist in her lips meant.</p><p>"Is that a deal-breaker for you?" he asked.</p><p>Surprisingly, she shook her head. "No, I'm worried about what you'll have to face," she told him. He didn't know what it was like to be among the noble classes, especially as a commoner, but Rukia seemed sincerely concerned about him.</p><p>"You don't need to worry about things like that," Hitsugaya told her, tracing gentle circles on her wrist. "But let's worry about this when we need to."</p><p>Rukia nodded her agreement.</p><p>"Your brother and I talked about something else," he continued, his voice dropping into that serious register he used when he talked about work. "It's about Kurosaki."</p><p>"Ichigo?" Rukia sounded surprised and failed to notice the way Hitsugaya's eye twitched at this.</p><p>Nevertheless, he continued normally: "Yes. Tomorrow, Yamamoto is going to assign you a trip to the human world to collect something from Urahara, some device he's made that can give Ichigo his Soul Reaper powers back. It was supposed to happen after your exam but since you didn't go, it's happening now."</p><p>"Why are we suddenly giving Ichigo his powers back? How do we even do that in the first place?" Rukia frowned at him, her mind clearly running a mile a minute already.</p><p>"The same way you gave it to him the first time," Hitsugaya calmly replied. "But it won't just be you this time. Your brother, Zaraki, Ikkaku, Renji and I are also volunteering some of our power. It should be enough to reawaken Kurosaki's power."</p><p>"But <em>why</em>?" Rukia asked. "Did something happen?"</p><p>"We don't know," Hitsugaya told her. "Giving Ichigo his powers back is something the Head Captain has been discussing for a while. He probably always intended to. Aizen's rise in power was just too easy and Ichigo is too powerful of an ally to lose. Urahara will explain the situation to you when you go. Right now, all that Kurotsuchi can tell us is that there's been odd spikes in activity recently."</p><p>Rukia nodded a little absently and Hitsugaya sighed.</p><p>"Your friends are fine," he said. "Urahara has been keeping an eye on them, and the Gotei Thirteen is willing to go to their aid after what they've done for us."</p><p>Her shoulders seemed to relax a little but Hitsugaya could see that her attention wasn't really on him anymore.</p><p>He brought his hands up to her shoulders, having to lean down a little to look into her eyes. The sleeping kimono was far thinner than the normal shihakusho and he could feel the very defined edges of her bones under his hands.</p><p>"Kurosaki is reckless and hard-headed, but he's not stupid," he said to her. "You should know this the most."</p><p>"No, no, no, he's an idiot," Rukia disagreed, but she was smiling up at him. "But, you're right. In any event, we'll know tomorrow."</p><p>Hitsugaya let go of her. "I'll accompany you to the Senkaimon tomorrow," he said. "You should get some sleep."</p><p>Rukia nodded but caught the sleeve of his shihakusho. "Did you come here just to tell me that?" she asked.</p><p>"I did," he said with a raised eyebrow. "Were you expecting something else?"</p><p>She narrowed her eyes, already knowing he was teasing her. Never in her life had Rukia ever asked for a kiss before, and she wasn't quite sure how. So she decided not to bother asking.</p><p>Rukia got up on the balls of her feet and draped an arm over his shoulder, the palm of her hand coming to rest against the back collar of his shihakusho.</p><p>Hitsugaya watched her with open interest, a little unnerving for Rukia, but she was not one to back down, especially now that she had made her intentions clear. She brought her face close to his, catching the way his eyes immediately dropped to her mouth. She smiled, leaned in, and kissed his nose.</p><p>She pulled back and kissed his cheek instead, and then his other cheek, and then the point of his chin and along his jaw. They were very sweet kisses but by the time she had covered the area of his face that she could easily reach, something like a growl seemed to be working its way up Hitsugaya's throat.</p><p>"Rukia," he warned, voice low.</p><p>She pulled back to blink innocently at him. "Yes, Tō-shi-rō?" she replied, stretching his name out liltingly.</p><p>Hitsugaya leaned forward but Rukia turned her head away and he ended up kissing the loose hair at her temple.</p><p>"You missed your chance," she told him, smug.</p><p>"Oh, did I?"</p><p>Hitsugaya's hand was suddenly at the side of her face, his thumb pressing against the hollow of her cheek, some fingers along her jaw, some resting against her neck. This was enough to hold her head in place, not that Rukia was struggling to get away.</p><p>Hitsugaya's kiss this time was a little forceful, like he was really worried she would pull away. She was incredibly aware of how his nose was pressed up against hers and what the edge of his teeth felt like.</p><p>To Hitsugaya, kissing Rukia was the thing he had been thinking about since he'd seen her at her inauguration. He had been itching all day to go see her, pull her into a secluded corner and just press his mouth to hers. Feeling the cool breath she exhaled brush against his cheek and tasting the tea she had had with her dinner made it all worth the wait. At some point, Rukia's finger at the back of his neck had started to curl his hair there, which felt more intimate than anything he had ever done before.</p><p>When they parted, Rukia's smile was soft but still smug.</p><p>"I still won," she said, a little breathless. "I still got what I wanted."</p><p>Well, in that case, Hitsugaya was happy to lose.</p><p>When he did eventually untangle from her, as he sat on her window ledge, he nodded to his hanging haori.</p><p>"You're really going to make me go through the trouble of getting a new one?" he asked.</p><p>Rukia nodded. "Consider it a keepsake of your affection," she said.</p><p>Hitsugaya didn't seem to mind this. "What do I get in return?" he asked.</p><p>"My heart and soul?" she suggested, only half-jokingly. It made Hitsugaya's entire face very soft, but he wasn't appeased enough to let her off the hook.</p><p>"By the laws of equivalent exchange, you still owe me a haori," he said.</p><p>Rukia considered him for a moment and then turned away from him. He watched as she rummaged through a drawer on the other side of the room, returning with something folded in her hands.</p><p>"This is my first time making something like this," she said, a little bashfully. "So it's not perfect but…"</p><p>She unfolded the scarf she had spent weeks knitting into existence in his office, draping it around his shoulders and tucking it around his neck. When she was done she leaned back and nodded in satisfaction.</p><p>"It matches your eyes," she said, pleased.</p><p>Hitsugaya's hand came up to fold around the soft material. How many hours had she sat and knitted this thing, the metal needles chaffing her fingers, the blue yarn always tangling and needing to be untangled, the endless frustration of every missed or knotted stitch.</p><p>What had he said, the laws of equivalent exchange? Hitsugaya figured he owed her about five haoris for this thing, given that the one she was keeping was old and ratty and probably smelly at this point.</p><p>"Are you sure you want to give this to me?" he asked. "I happen to know Captain Kuchiki and Captain Ukitake both have their eyes on it." And probably Abarai too, and who knew who else. Hitsugaya had happened upon a conversation with Byakuya and Ukitake at some point, discussing who they thought she was making it for. Both believed it was for them, and were rather looking forward to receiving it.</p><p>Rukia seemed to be amused by this. "When I started it, I only wanted to learn," she said, "I never intended to give it to anyone. But the more I made it, the more I realized I was making if for you."</p><p>Hitsugaya stepped back into the room and wrapped his arms around her once more. When he eventually left for real this time, the scarf smelt a little more like Rukia.</p><hr/><p>The next morning, after Rukia had received her official orders, Hitsugaya brought her to the Senkaimon like he had promised. As they stood waiting for the gate to open, he casually caught the end of a strand of Rukia's hair.</p><p>"When this is all over, let's visit granny again," he said. "I want to introduce you to her properly this time."</p><p>Rukia tilted her head back to look at him. She smiled. "There are people I want to introduce you to, too," she said. "But they're in the outer Rukongai districts. It will probably take more than a day."</p><p>"We have time," he said. "Take me wherever you like."</p><p>"I will," she promised cheekily, her eyes turning into little half-moons as she smiled.</p><p>Hitsugaya wanted to kiss her, even though there were Twelfth Division officers working on the gate nearby. She was only going to be gone for a few hours, but as she stepped toward the gate, black hell butterfly fluttering around her head, he wanted to catch the little hand that had come to fit so comfortably in his hold, and keep her there.</p><p>He couldn't do this, of course, but as she turned to wave at him, still smiling that cheeky smile, he thought to himself that they had all the time in the world. He would be waiting here for her when she returned and that hand would be his to hold again.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>End of part three.</em>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  <em>Hitsugaya watched her go, his old eyes still able to follow her form even with shunpo as fast as hers.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Hitsugaya looked over at the people before him, at their bloodied clothes and mangled appearances. His eyes passed over the empty spaces between them. He couldn't heave the tired sigh that he wanted to. He turned to one of the men on his left.</p><p>"How is the Eight Division Captain, Captain Yamada?"</p><p>The man, usually very open and friendly, was much more subdued as he said, "Captain Kurosaki has not awakened yet. We have managed to heal the worst of her injuries. If she lives, I'm afraid, is a matter of her own choosing."</p><p>"And Captain Madarame?"</p><p>"He is recovered enough to attempt to escape our care to rejoin the fight," Yamada said, tired but somewhat amused. "We had to restrain him to ensure that his wounds were fully healed."</p><p>Hitsugaya nodded before turning back to the rest of the group.</p><p>"Captain Abarai, Arisawa, the city reinforcements will be under your care from now on. Captain Sarugaki and Sui-Feng will continue to monitor the Gargantuan. The rest of you, heal yourselves and prepare for the second wave of attack. Captain Kurosaki," Hitsugaya addressed a tall orange-blond man. "Stay back a minute."</p><p>The other captains all filed out of his office, leaving only him and the Tenth Division captain behind.</p><p>"Head Captain Hitsugaya," Kurosaki gave him a slight bow.</p><p>Hitsugaya studied the boy before him. Though the Kurosakis were all somewhat special, this one before him was doubly so. You see, Ichigo and his children had all lived long, fulfilling lives—a consequence of their hard-won peace all those years ago. When they had died and come to Soul Society, they came as old men, powerful, yes, but with a shortened lifespan no matter how you looked at it. His grandson, however, had died fairly young at forty-five. This boy standing before Hitsugaya was special in that he, Ichigo's great grand-son, had been born here in Soul Society.</p><p>Hitsugaya had watched the boy grow up. At some point, he had called him <em>Uncle Tōshirō.</em> Enough generations had passed that, though he still greatly resembled his legendary great-grandfather, his temperament had mellowed out, and he reminded Hitsugaya more of the old Captain Ukitake than of any of the Kurosakis.</p><p>"I want you and your squad to stay behind and guard Seireitei," Hitsugaya told the boy, not at all surprised when he immediately opened his mouth to protest.</p><p>"Listen to me," Hitsugaya interrupted him firmly. "We are going to need as much manpower on the frontlines as possible, but we cannot leave the city defenceless. If all else fails, it will be up to you to ensure the safety of Soul Society. I can only count on you."</p><p>"What about you, Head Captain?" the boy asked, eyeing Hitsugaya like he already knew the answer.</p><p>Calmly, Hitsugaya brushed his hand against the hilt of the sword secured to his hip. He had long grown tall enough that he could wear it there now, and his height actually made it cumbersome to wear it on his back like he used to in the olden days.</p><p>"I will meet the enemy myself," he said, quietly but firmly.</p><p>A myriad of emotions crossed the young boys face. He seemed to want to say something but in the end, he just fell silent.</p><p>"There's one more thing," Hitsugaya continued. "About your aunt."</p><p>Kurosaki made a weird smile, pained, chagrined and exasperated. "She's an idiot for what she did," he said.</p><p>"Perhaps," Hitsugaya agreed, "But she did buy us more time. In the event that I don't come back, Central 46 will more than likely have Karin replace me. You know how your aunt is. She doesn't like to sit around and do administrative work, which is unfortunately mostly what the Head Captain position entails. She would rather be out in the battlefield." Hitsugaya sighed. "As Head Captain, she cannot put her own life on the line so easily," he said, ignoring the way Kurosaki's eyebrow rose at that. "For the morality and future of the Gotei Thirteen, she must live as long as possible. I hope you will be her strength in this time, and be here to guide her on her new path."</p><p>"You're talking like you already know you won't be coming back," the boy said, jokingly, but without a smile in sight.</p><p>Hitsugaya looked away from him. "I am preparing myself for the worst." He jerked his chin toward the door. "Now go," he commanded. "Prepare yourself for the battle."</p><p>Kurosaki looked like he wanted to say more but he obediently bowed and left. Hitsugaya watched him go. How many of them did he fight? Hitsugaya tried to recall from the reports still sitting on his desk. Ten? Fifteen? And with nary a scratch on himself. The boy didn't even look tired.</p><p>Leaving Seireitei to him, Hitsugaya thought, was the best thing he could do.</p><hr/><p>With his captains and lieutenants recovering, Hitsugaya abandoned his office and made his way to the other side of Seireitei. There was a cherry blossom forest there, secluded and hidden away among the noble buildings, and among the vibrantly blossoming trees, stood a woman.</p><p>She had her back to him when he approached, white hair flowing down to the backs of her knees, white scarf wrapped around her neck and shoulders comfortably as she carefully arranged the flowers she had gathered in her hands. Though he had grown a great deal over the years, this couldn't be said to be the same for her. Now, he towered over her like most everyone else did, and when he walked up behind her, he had to bend a little to rest his chin on the top of her head. He wrapped his arms around her middle, looking down at them from above. They were thin and wrinkled. Hers were still smooth and soft. He had not aged as well as her, but she always said it was because he was always under stress and it took its toll on him.</p><p>He heard her chuckle but it turned into a brief but wracking coughing fit. She held onto his hands to steady herself until it subsided, squeezing reassuringly.</p><p>Tōshirō waited until it had passed, having long learned that there was not much he could do besides hold her.</p><p>"You are too busy to be here playing with me, Tōshirō."</p><p>"I wanted to see you," he said honestly.</p><p>"How is Karin?" she asked.</p><p>"She'll be fine," he said confidently. "No one has as much willpower to live as she does."</p><p>She tilted her head to look up at him, that stray lock of now-white hair ever present between her eyes. "I took Sode no Shirayuki out this morning," she said softly. "It felt just like the old times."</p><p>"Rukia…"</p><p>"The children are suffering, Tōshirō," she said quietly, smiling. She turned back to the trees in front of her, resting a palm against one trunk. "How fortunate were we to have lived in times so peaceful that I was able to just retire?" she mused out loud.</p><p>"You almost died," he reminded her.</p><p>"Yes, but that used to happen to a lot of people before," she said. "Captain Ukitake remained a captain for as long as he did while being as sick as he was because we just couldn't afford to replace him. Me, I was able to just go as easily as I wanted."</p><p>"It's not your fault," he told her quietly.</p><p>"I know," she said, looking up at the flowers overhead. "I just want our children to have that kind of peace, too."</p><p>And Hitsugaya wanted to tell her no, he wanted her to stay here, where she was safe, where she could live a little longer. But he watched the way her eyes trailed over the cherry blossom trees with a profound serenity and he knew, even if she stayed behind and survived, he would be cursing her to live the few short years of the rest of her life without him. And they needed people like her, he knew all too well, if they wanted to really stand a chance, he and the rest of the captains wouldn't be enough. They needed her power, too.</p><p>Hitsugaya let go of her, stepping back. "Hiyori and Soi-Fong are monitoring the Gargantuan," he said. "As soon as there's any movement, the Twelfth and Second Division will know."</p><p>Rukia turned to face him, and since he was now talking to her in his Head Captain voice, she nodded brusquely. "Alright," she said, serious. "I'll be listening out for the order."</p><p>"Good," he said.</p><p>For a moment, they just looked at each other. Then Rukia smiled and reached up, kissing him lightly.</p><p>"You can go," she said. "I'll see you at home later, alright?"</p><p>Silently, he nodded, looking over her one last time, at her smile, at the dimple in her left cheek, at her eyes, and then he left.</p><p>When he was gone, Rukia turned back to the small forest. She had grown these trees herself. They were a few hundred years old now. Since she had stepped down from her captaincy she had spent most of her time here, caring for them.</p><p>"I'm glad I could see you bloom one last time," she said quietly. "Nii-sama…thank you."</p><hr/><p>Rukia made her way to the Sixth Division office with slow, measured steps, white scarf fluttering behind her. The few Shinigami that were still about immediately gave way, bowing respectfully. Rukia smiled kindly at them but she didn't stop to chat like she normally would. Instead, she walked right up to the captain's office and let herself in.</p><p>Inside were the two men she had loved the most in her life.</p><p>"Captain Kuchiki, Captain Hitsugaya," she greeted, overly formal, and with not a small amount of mockery.</p><p>"Mother…" Captain Kuchiki sighed, "I already told you, you don't have to do that anymore."</p><p>"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just trying to listen to what my sons said about embarrassing them while they're at work," she said sarcastically.</p><p>The two men exchanged a glance.</p><p>For brothers, they didn't look much alike. The older one, Hakuya, had long dark hair that he tied up in a half ponytail and was tall and lanky. As Captain of the Sixth Division, he had inherited Byakuya's gilded haori, though some modifications had been made to the garment over time. Byakuya had never remarried and never had any children of his own, so when he had been born Rukia, Tōshirō and Byakuya had agreed to allow him to take the Kuchiki family name so that he could fill the role of heir.</p><p>The younger son, Seishiro, had inherited his father's hair and mother's stature, and resembled his father when Tōshirō had been younger, though he was still taller than Rukia herself. He had been Rukia's lieutenant and had directly succeeded her as captain of the Thirteenth Division.</p><p>She looked around the office. "Where's Lieutenant Abarai?"</p><p>"Aunt Yuzu had to drag her to the Fourth Division," Hakuya said, frowning deeply. "That idiot, she ran after Aunt Karin when she decided to—" he stopped, running a hand down his face and sighing.</p><p>"What brings you here, mother?" Seishiro asked, hoping to change the subject. Despite how much he looked like his father, he had more of Rukia's personality. Hakuya was more like the Uncle Byakuya he had grown up closely under.</p><p>Carefully, Rukia unwound the scarf at her neck, folding it neatly before walking over to her first son and laying it gently in his arms.</p><p>Both men's eyes widened. Seishiro jumped to his feet. "Mother, you can't be seriously thinking—?"</p><p>"Don't be rash," Hakuya cut him off, looking at his mother with serious eyes. "What would father think?"</p><p>"Your father already knows," she said gently, causing both brothers to fall silent. If their father had approved, then there was nothing they could do.</p><p>Rukia smiled at them, reaching forward to pat her elder son's shoulder (which was all she could reach) and ruffling her younger son's hair.</p><p>"You must live long and live well, understood?" she told them, voice scolding.</p><p>"Yes, mother," they said in unison, like they were little boys again and not grown men.</p><p>Rukia nodded, pleased. She opened her mouth the say more but was immediately interrupted by the blaring of the emergency alarm.</p><p>"Damn," the Sixth Division captain swore, throwing the scarf hastily over his shoulders and moving out from behind his desk. "I thought we would have more time."</p><p>He and his brother rushed out the door, not even remembering to say goodbye to their mother. Rukia stayed behind so she could look at their backs for a little longer as they left. She took one last lingering look around the office before following them.</p><hr/><p>"Careful, your face will freeze like that."</p><p>Hitsugaya relaxed his stance and sheathed Hyorinmaru before he turned around.</p><p>"Even Mom won't be able to find you handsome," the lilting voice continued.</p><p>"At our age, physical appearance isn't that important, Miaki," he replied dryly.</p><p>The young girl gave him a laugh, walking over to him. "You only say that because Mom is still beautiful."</p><p>Hitsugaya gave her an exasperated look but didn't deny it. Hitsugaya didn't play favourites with his children, and he loved them all equally. But while they all occupied a special place in his heart, the place where Miaki lived felt very tender to him.</p><p>His sons had been born with only a decade between them and while Hitsugaya hadn't been unprepared, he hadn't exactly been prepared either. The learning curve for fatherhood was steep and it was fortunate that he had had people like Kyoraku and Byakuya around. But by the time his daughter had been born, he was basically a professional.</p><p>Ichigo had once told him that his sons were clearly momma's boys—a human phrase Hitsugaya's logical brain hadn't been able to understand (it had clearly taken both Rukia <em>and</em> him to make them). But when Ichigo had later dubbed the toddler Miaki who sat in his lap serenely while Hitsugaya did paperwork a <em>daddy's girl</em>, Hitsugaya had completely understood.</p><p>It helped that she was the spitting image of Rukia, except for her white hair, and of all of his children, she had been the only one to inherit Rukia's large violet eyes.</p><p>"Where's Matsumoto?" he asked her.</p><p>"Avoiding you," she said lightly. She threaded her arm, lieutenant's armband somewhat carelessly displayed, through his and began to lead him away from the arena he had been training in. "She said something about some paperwork she forgot. You know, the usual."</p><p>Hitsugaya eyed her from the side. "Why aren't you with Kurosaki?"</p><p>"He's visiting with Aunt Karin," she said and then sighed. "He told me what you said," her hold on him tightened. "They're probably arguing about it right now. If I went, I'd be forced to take a side."</p><p>"That's true," Hitsugaya agreed.</p><p>"Dad, are you—" Miaki stopped and turned to look at him.</p><p>"You're so quick to call me dead already," he scolded lightly. Her tense face didn't relax.</p><p>"It's not just you, it's Mom too, and Haku-chan, and Sei-chan," she protested. "Meanwhile I'm supposed to stay behind here and do nothing."</p><p>"You're not doing nothing," Hitsugaya told her calmly. "We'll all fight better knowing that it's you who's relying on us. There's no better motivation for me, your mother and your brothers."</p><p>Miaki didn't look at all touched by this. "I want to be out there fighting with you," she insisted.</p><p>"You can fight with us without being right by our side," Hitsugaya said calmly but firmly. "And you'll have your own fights to worry about here."</p><p>For the longest time Hitsugaya had carried around some resentment for Byakuya and how he had restricted Rukia when she had first joined the Gotei Thirteen. But then Miaki had been born and Hitsugaya had found that that resentment had steadily faded away.</p><p>The girl still looked like she wanted to argue but a loud blaring siren interrupted her. Hitsugaya straightened immediately.</p><p>"Get to your station," he ordered her.</p><p>Miaki's gaze lingered over him for a moment longer before she nodded and took off. Hitsugaya watched her go, his old eyes still able to follow her form even with shunpo as fast as hers.</p><p>He brushed his hand against his hilt.</p><p>
  <em>It's time, Hyorinmaru.</em>
</p><p>The dragon gave him a soft growl of acknowledgement. Reassured, and with the siren ringing in his ears, Hitsugaya took off.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Fin.</em>
</p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A bittersweet conclusion.</p><p>The time that has passed is meant to be ambiguous, and our beloved canon characters haven't necessarily died, or died violently. Maybe they, like Rukia, retired and then died naturally. Maybe their luck just wasn't on their side one day while facing some threat. Maybe they've moved on to other things. Maybe they faked their death by pretending to become God's right hand or something and is living peacefully somewhere, occasionally visited in secret by his loved ones, including a curly haired head captain who has been waiting literal centuries to find the right opportunity to kiss him. I dunno. Maybe.</p><p>A note about Japanese names:</p><p>As far as I understand, married couples must share the same name, but while the wife can take the husband's name, the husband can also take the wife's name. It all depends on whose family register the children will be listed on, and so usually ends up being the family which will be most beneficial to the future children. This is why when Koga married into the Kuchiki family, he took the Kuchiki name.</p><p>Hakuya takes his mother's name to succeed her as head of the clan. The other siblings take Hitsugaya's name, because Hitsugaya is too proud to have children and then not have any of them bear his name. Does this mean they got married and she became Mrs Hitsugaya? I dunno. Make of this what you will.</p><p>Naming kiddos to have a connection to other people is hard when you don't know Japanese but I tried—</p><p>Hakuya 白夜 – uses the 白 character from Byakuya</p><p>Seishiro 征志郎 – uses the 郎 character from Tōshirō and Juushiro</p><p>Miaki 己菊 – uses the 菊 character from Rangiku</p><p>I named them better than Harry Potter named his children, at least.</p><p>Special thank you to everyone who reviewed/commented (including the anons I couldn't answer directly), liked/favourited, those who followed along, bookmarked, etc. etc., but really anyone who took the time to read my little story in this corner of the internet.</p><p>Thank you.</p><p>I'm gonna cry over finals now.</p><p>That's all folks!</p>
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